Pardon My Past
by NavyWriterChic
Summary: What do you do when your past comes back to haunt you? Loki and Jane are about to travel this road together discovering that they have more in common than they know. Post Thor with Avengers thrown in. Lokane!
1. Prologue

****_Welcome to you all to "Pardon My Past," a Loki and Jane Foster love epic. These two have a chemistry that just cannot be described or defined. If you have read anything about Jane and Loki, you know where I am coming from. _

_This story is another jewel that I am working on, like its sister story "Stockholm."_

_I do not own any of the music I recommend you listen to for the scenes, I do not own any of the characters as they are property of Marvel Entertainment and Disney, but I do however own the original storyline and made up characters._

_Please enjoy and review often. I love and respond to each and everyone._

* * *

**Prologue - 17 years ago**

_London, England_

The rain poured, coating the streets in water, foggy mist, and dangerous conditions. Lightning raced across the sky.

Sirens filled the quiet air.

On a country road outside of the main city of London, England, metal, glass, and ash littered a small curve until the debris became larger fragments.

All belonging to former navy blue Land Rover Discovery that was unrecognizable.

A Morgan +4 came to a screeching halt outside the security barrier where several police officers were posted to keep traffic away from the scene.

Dr. Erik Selvig emerged from his vehicle and charged the line.

"I am sorry sir," the officer told him, "but this is an accident scene. You need to turn around..."

"Are they dead?" Dr. Selvig asked.

"Who?" the officer asked. "Do you know these people?"

"Doctor James D. Foster and his wife Amelia," he called their names, panic gripping his voice, his hands shaking in fear. "Are they dead?"

"Sir," the officer said.

He was sick and tired of being told to relax so he broke through the barricade and approached the scene closer.

The car was no longer a car. It had been smashed head-on by a second car, a Jaguar XJ that too also did not look like it anymore.

Glass shard crumbled underneath his steps as he approached the Foster Family car.

He could see blood draining down the side windows, unknown as to who was driving.

"Oh god," he gasped.

A detective from Scotland Yard who was talking to someone in a police car approached him.

"Good evening sir," the stout man said to him. "I am Inspector Gerald Manningham."

"Selvig," Erik said with tears in his eyes and a hand over his mouth. "Dr. Erik Selvig."

"Did you know the Fosters?" Manningham asked.

"Did?" he inquired.

The inspector directed his attention to where a bodybag was being zipped up.

He barely got a chance to see sweet Amelia's face, bashed and bloody, before it had been sealed. She was lifted and placed upon a stretcher where she would be going for an autopsy at the morgue.

"And my partner, James?" he asked.

"Over there," the inspector told him as the bag was already sealed. "It was a gruesome crash. It was so violent that your friend lost his head."

Erik wanted to vomit.

James had been decapitated and Amelia was completely bashed to pieces.

"How did this?" he asked.

"Intoxicated driver in the car," Manningham told him. "Hit them head on as they prepared to exit the tunnel and he was entering. He is most certainly intoxicated and will be booked into the Metropolitan Police Station immediately. Facing some very serious charges..."

"Jane," he said her name.

"Pardon sir, what?"

"Jane, their little girl Jane," he told the relationship of his friend's ten-year-old daughter. "Was she with them?"

"Ah, yes she was. She was found seat-belted in," the detective told him. "Had to use a saw to cut her out of the car, but she did appear to be pretty shaken up and incoherent. I would be too if I saw my parents die in front of my eyes."

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She's been taken already to Royal London Hospital to assess her injuries and mental status. Do you know if she has a guardians here?"

But Erik knew it was futile to remain here.

James and Amelia would want him to go to the hospital and be with Jane.

* * *

**Royal London Hospital**

The rain continued to pour and slam against the window inside the dim lit private room where a small child was asleep. A bandage wrapped around her head, her clothes replaced with a hospital gown, and IVs with blood and medicine flowed into her arm.

The cropped brown hair was knotted across her pillow as scrapes and cuts covered her chin and jawline.

A nurse was checking her vitals and changing the medicine bag before heading out of the cozy room.

The nurse emerged and slid the glass window-door shut very quietly, approaching the older gentlemen and a police detective who stood outside waiting for her report.

"She's asleep for now," the nurse told them. "The doctor when she returns from rounds will be...Dr. Cavanaugh," she reached out to the doctor to give her report. "This is Inspector Manningham and Dr. Selvig here for little Jane Foster."

"Thank you Marcia," Dr. Cavanaugh acknowledged her work and she departed. "Good evening gentlemen. I suppose you want to know about our tiny patient."

"She going to pull through?" the inspector asked.

Erik stared through the window at his friend's daughter who was asleep while listening to the medical report.

"Jane sustained a broken wrist, several cracked or broken ribs, a deep laceration to the top of her head that required stitches," the doctor told them. "In all honesty, the seatbelt has once again proven to be a life-saver. Without it, we would be dealing with that young girl being a projectile out that window."

"Considering her father lost his head," the Inspector said, "she would have been dismembered."

"Oh come now man," Erik interjected. "Have some class. He was my friend, she was a friend, and now their child is an orphan."

"Gentlemen please, no raised voices," the doctor calmed the calamity that nearly transpired in the hallway. "Now, young Jane is going to be the hospital for at least two or three days, but after that, she will become a ward of the state. Do you know of any family that can come and prove blood relationship of her. If you can, then we can see about sending her home with them. If not, members from the orphanage will come for her."

Erik thought for a minute or two. Though they were such good friends, he did not know about any others of the Foster family who may still be in America or extended family that lived here in England.

"I will investigate this evening," Erik told everyone present. "I will see if there is someone who can make medical decisions on her behalf. Until then, since I have known Janie her entire life pretty much, I can do this in the interim."

"If Metro Police does not have a problem with this arrangement," the doctor asked.

"Not all all," Manningham replied.

* * *

Within a couple of hours, Erik Selvig entered the home of James, Amelia, and Jane Foster. He was given the keys that were a part of the property collected at the accident scene.

He walked through the front door, leaving two uniformed police bobbies outside. He told them that he would be a few minutes.

Their home was a small flat in Central London near the campus. They must have been going out of town for the weekend to go camping or some sort of activity to get away from the city.

As he walked, he saw that everything was cleaned up and had a place that it belonged.

Erik walked into the office near the back of the flat and began to search the desk.

Astrewn were all of James's notes from his study of the constellations and star systems. They had been employed at the university for nearly fifteen years; ten of them right here in London.

There was nothing there so he went to the other side and searched Amelia's desk. She had school assignments from her primary school pupils. They were studying basic addition from the worksheets she had been grading before they left.

Finally, he found what he was looking for. Amelia kept an address book tucked against her computer monitor.

He began to flip through the pages, when suddenly a small black kitten jumped onto the book that was in his hands. It scared him a bit, but knew this cat.

"Oh hello Lucky," he greeted the kitten. It was ironic that a solid black cat, synonymous with bad luck was called Lucky. "Did I scare you?" he asked, setting himself into Amelia's chair. "It's OK, baby girl. Your Janie is going to take good care of you now."

But he still needed someone to take care of her momma.

It is not like he wouldn't take Jane in and take care of her. However, he did not have children and it would be difficult for him and his working hours to take care of Jane and make sure that all her needs were met and that she would be safe and healthy.

No, there had to be someone, he thought. Someone who could deliver the kind of care that Janie deserved.

As he thumbed through her book, Erik found another Foster in the book. A Michael and Rebekah (Foster) Hastings.

He did remember that James did have a sister who lived in America, but he often never saw her.

It was nearly midnight here in London so it had to be around seven or eight in America's eastern timezone.

The address showed that they lived in Concord, Massachusetts, USA.

Erik reached for Lucky, putting her in her crate, grabbed some food for the kitten, and threw in Jane's princess fuzzy slippers.

Amelia had done laundry before she left so he grabbed whatever was Jane's and tossed it into her pink backpack at the door.

With the kitten, bag, and address book in hand, he proceeded to leave the residence and get back to the hospital.

* * *

_**Hospital - Two days later**_

The rain had finally stopped pouring in London, but that did not stop cars from kicking up the water that remained on the roadways.

A black Land Rover pulled to the front doors of the hospital. One large man with an earwig spring coil that wrapped the back of ear (indicating security) walked around to the back of the SUV.

A woman with long brown hair climbed out followed by another man in a suit.

These were important people as the security stayed close to them.

The woman wearing denim jeans and a sweater approached the front desk where a nurse and guard stood to check in people.

"I am looking for the pediatrics unit," the woman said.

"What is the patient's name?" the rotund nurse asked.

"Foster, Jane Elizabeth Foster," she said, out of breath.

"Calm down darling," the man that was with her said, pulling her close to him with her shoulders. "Jane is OK. She just needs to see us and know that there is family here to be with her."

"Pediatrics is on Level three, and you will find her in room 349," the nurse said.

But she was already lickety-split for the staircase to climb to the next floors.

Once to the unit, they relaxed and approached the desk.

"Room 349," the man asked.

"On your left at the end of the hall," a woman in nursing scrubs responded.

They walked briskly to the room and entered through the open door.

The male ordered the escort to wait outside the room while they reunited.

"Janie," the woman called.

* * *

Jane Foster looked up from her gin game with her uncle Erik to see a welcoming sight.

It was her Aunt Rebekah and Uncle Mike from America. They lived somewhere on the eastern shoreline, but not sure exactly where. They must have been called about the accident and now, they were here.

Why were they here?

Her aunt came and hugged her, but she winced at the pain when she was squished.

"How are you sweetheart?" her aunt asked.

"OK, I guess," she answered. "I have lots of broken bones, but my seatbelt saved me."

"I am sure it did honey," her aunt said as she left a kiss on top of her head.

"Dr. Erik Selvig," her uncle introduced himself.

"Congressman-elect Michael Hastings," her uncle said. "My wife is/was James's sister."

"Pleasure to meet you sir," her uncle said.

"You in congress?" Jane asked.

"Well, I start in January," her uncle Mike said. "That is why I am only a congressman-elect."

A nurse entered and was doing her rounds. "I am sorry," the woman said, "I can come back later.

"No, it is OK," Uncle Erik said. "Go ahead. Janie, I am going to step out into the hall with your aunt and uncle. Do not look at my cards."

"I won't," she answered and picked up her kitten.

* * *

Erik Selvig and Michael and Rebekah Hastings walked out of the room and he lightly cracked the door.

He needed to tell them what had happened in the past couple of days.

"Does she remember anything?" Michael asked.

"The psychologist that visited this morning said that she is probably suffering from repressed memories," he told them. "She probably will not remember the accident ever, but she had not slept well since she got here. I have been saying with her since the accident. I am actually grateful that she will not considering what had happened. It was brutal. Going to take time until the funeral which would be this weekend, but the reason I called is for when she is released after the funeral. She needs a blood relative to take her or she could be placed into the adoption system. I could try and move for custody since I have known her the longest, but I would rather her be with family."

"I agree," Rebekah answered. "Michael and I are going to be in Concord, Massachusetts at least for the foreseeable future with his career and I just opened my own practice so that would mean Jane could get a quality education and have stability in her life."

"That is what she is going to need," he said with a smile on his face. He pulled out the business card of the social services member. "This is the number of the representative that called me. She is just making sure that Janie will be in the best possible home."

"She will have her younger cousins, our children Rachael and Christopher, to grow up with," Michael added. "She will be loved with us and in very good hands."

Erik took his hand and shook it. "I believe that would the best place for her," he replied. "Well, I guess you should be the ones that tell her. I will begin the process of getting her packed up."

"Thank you doctor," the aunt said and gave him a hug. "We promise that you will always be welcomed to be in Janie's life."

He lightly nodded and waited till the couple went inside to talk to Jane...before he walked away to go home for the night.

* * *

The next time that everyone would be together was at the Fosters' funeral.

It had been a grand, closed duel casket funeral filled with friends, colleagues, and students from the university.

Precious Jane sat in between her aunt and uncle, trying to be brave and not cry.

Erik listened to the sermon from the priest that was performing the burial ritual for her parents.

Her tiny hands grasped a rosary that belonged to her mother and she started to cry again.

Rebekah Hastings pulled her against her chest and combed her fingers through her hair.

Everyone passed down the recessional line, shaking hands with Jane and the Hastings family members. They were offering their condolences to them.

Once everyone had left, Jane walked in between the caskets and left two red roses, one on each. She also kissed the mahogany surfaces before meeting back with her aunt and uncle.

Once they were back to the limousine, Jane's eyes were locked on the caskets that the groundskeepers were getting ready to place them into the ground.

Erik knew that Jane's life had changed all in one tragic night. Now hopefully she would begin the healing process.

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_Please let me know what you think. Your interest will determine if I am able to finish this story or not. Please remember to review!_


	2. Chapter 1 Change of Pace

****Here is Chapter One of Pardon my Past where we are introduced to our heroine. Please enjoy and submit those reviews! We are now in present time, maybe a couple of months after the activities of "Thor" and just barely reaching into "The Avengers."

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**Chapter One - A change of pace**

_Puente Antiguo, New Mexico_

The Land of Enchantment was still and unmoving even as a sandstorm was blowing in, suffocating the small town of Puente Antiguo. People were struggling to keep their doors closed, children were running from building to building to get out of the storm.

Outside the old Smith car dealership that was being used as a scientific lab, a trailer hitch popped down the ball trailer extension.

From the driver's door, a jacket and hooded individual kept their face covered from the dust and blowing sand. The person locked down the hitch, secured the signaling wires, and chainlinks to make sure the tin can trailer was secured.

The person ran for the door and struggled to get inside.

Pulling off the hood, glasses, and scarf, Jane Foster revealed herself so she could breathe.

"Oh my god," she said. "This storm is just unbelievable."

Darcy Lewis was packing up her suitcase of her clothing and personal effects that she had brought with her as part of her internship.

"You about packed up?" she asked her.

"Just about," Darcy replied. "Give me a few minutes to do one last sweep of the place."

"We need to hurry and get out," Jane replied. "They will be coming here in a few minutes for a through inspection."

"I still cannot believe they gave us twenty-four hours to clear out. It is just ludicrous to think we can clear out so quickly."

"It's what they do," she said.

"Oh, hey, do you want this letter?"

"What letter?"

"The one from the college," her student said. "The one that says oh the economy sucks so in order to shave a few bucks, your grant is being pulled."

Jane came and took the letter. Indeed it was the heartbreaking letter that she was referring to. "You know, I think I am going to frame it because when I open a portal to Asgard with the backing of some other big name university," she said, "I am going to want this letter to spit my tongue out at them."

"But our, I mean your grant," Darcy continued to rant. "You have had more discoveries and revelations in your research than any of those other people who have grants too. I mean Dr. Selvig is working with that government agency that contacted him. He'll get us the money back, right?"

"One day Darcy...one day. Can I take you into Albuquerque to your mom's?"

"Nah, I have my car here," her intern replied. "But can you sign this internship completion form so I get my credit?"

"Not a problem," she answered, taking the paper, and signing it on the table with all the equipment that she had borrowed and was supposed to return. She slapped her Jane Hancock on it and passed it back to her. "Be safe Darcy." Her hand was out for her to shake.

Darcy shook her hand. "Be careful driving to Boston," her now former intern said.

It was one final hug and they parted for good.

The two climbed into their vehicles that would carry them away from the adventures of Puente Antiguo.

Jane pulled her van and trailer down the main road and headed toward the northeast. She would take the I-40 interstate to the east and finally meet up with the 44 toward St. Louis, Missouri. She would drive until she could not make it, though that it was her goal to make it halfway.

It hurt leaving this place after all her adventures here. Would Thor come to this place looking for her? She hoped that he would be smart enough to find her; no matter where she was? She had made several acquaintances here and would miss them all.

It would be good to see her Aunt Rebekah, Uncle Mike, and cousins Rachael and Chris again. She had not seen them in a little over two years, though she practically lived with them during her undergrad degree when she was in and out of the dorms. She came home for major holidays when she could afford it.

Then she got money from them to move to New Mexico and begin her field grad school assignment. They had bought her the trailer that she used so she did not have to live in a hotel.

Though living in the Hastings home often felt like a posh hotel with all the riches they had acclimated over the years. Guess it was good to be a state senator and physician.

Her cellular phone started ringing on her seat.

It was her mentor finally calling.

"Hey Erik," she greeted him. "How is it going?"

* * *

**SHIELD Secret Bunker**

Doctor Erik Selvig was sitting in his specialized laboratory unknown as to where he was, which side of the country he was one, or if was even in the country. He just knew that this would be the time that Jane would be awake and off to work.

Or rather yet, she would be evacuating from New Mexico, according the emails that he was finally able to get to access to them.

He felt bad for his prodigy. She was losing her grant, her research, everything all over money. Now she was having to beg her family for a roof over head.

Of course the Hastings would take very good care of her, but she would not be able to do any research without funding.

"I take it you are on the road?" he asked her.

"Yeah," her voice answered. "Heading out east to stay with my family."

"They sure are wonderful that family of yours," Erik said.

From the secured door, the SHIELD agent known as Hawkeye entered the bunker where he was being stashed. He was to study this object that Commander Fury had shown him.

The crystal cube that could one day hold power, unlimited power for the Earth to use.

It was his task to evaluate, study, and decipher the cube's origins, power capacity, usage, and manipulations and report directly to Fury himself.

"So, when will you get to Boston?" he asked.

"Going for tomorrow, but who knows," Jane's voice replied. "I have to put everything into storage and then drive to their estate. Might be sooner, might be later. It will determine based on how the weather is as well.

Barton snapped his fingers and pointed to his watch.

"Hey Jane," Erik said, "I have the phone police telling me that I need to get back to work. Please call me when you get home safe to your family."

"They are the only ones I have left. Call or text you once I arrive," she told him. "Be safe."

"You too." And he hung up the phone.

* * *

_ Jane drove across the country, using her detailed computer map to find the way there. _

_ She wound up stopping Tulsa, Oklahoma because she was about ready to pass out that she barely made it to the hotel to relax. Then she stopped in Cleveland, OH. With two nights of rest and a cheery drive to Boston ahead, it was nothing but loud music and caffeine to drive the rest of the way._

_In Boston, she found a Public Storage facility and spent the better part of two hours putting her trailer and her equipment away and locking the door. She would keep her clothes and books to accompany her to Concord._

_Her family was loaded. Her uncle had proceeded up the ranks of state government from congress and now was a senator; probably would wind up serving as governor eventually. Her aunt had finally opened her own OB-GYN office at Harvard Medical Center. Her cousins Chris and Rachael attended private schools in Concord. Chris was to graduate this year and Rachael was starting her Sophomore term next year._

Turning down a quaint city road though the small city that had changed since she had departed several years ago. A couple of businesses were still open, but some had closed down.

The smell of the trees and the fresh dew of autumn reminded her of pleasant memories.

Jane turned down a familiar path, Kennesaw Pine Path, the road that lead to her adolescent home. She loved the Hastings Home as it was a great deal of peace when her life was in chaos. It was on a vast plot of land filled with trees where the three of them had a treehouse and fort to hang out during the summer.

When her parents had been killed, though she did not remember the event, her aunt had come and saved her. She had been relocated to Concord and lived her teenage years in peace.

She turned her van to the gate and pressed the button on the call box.

"Hastings Residence," the deep male voice greeted. He had to be from the secret service since he did not sound like Uncle Mike or Chris.

"Yes, hi," she answered the voice. "I am Jane Foster, coming home."

"Welcome to the property Ms. Foster," the man responded and the gates opened.

She drove through the arch and headed down the long driveway.

* * *

**Hastings Residence**

The house was in chaos in the kitchen as a woman pulled out a large roast and pan out of the oven. She was searching for a place to put it so she could finish presenting the meal.

"Rachael," the woman called, "is the table set?"

"Almost," the young female voice replied. "Where are the napkins?"

"In the china cabinet," she answered as her son walked in from the pool deck.

"Pool house is good to go," her son replied.

"Thank you honey," she answered. "Will you put out the condiments and take out the salad."

"She's here," her husband said with a large smile on his face as he entered the kitchen from his study.

Rebekah Hastings was excited. She took off her apron and oven mitts. "Kids, front door," she called.

They all went to the front door.

"Why are we getting all excited for Jane to be coming home?" Rachael asked. "She has only been gone for two years solid."

"But it has been nearly ten that she has actually lived here honey," her father said. "Your cousin needs us now and we are going to be here for her."

The knock came and Rebekah got goosebumps.

Michael went and opened the door.

And there stood Jane wrapped up in a jacket, hat, and scarf. She appeared to be chattering in the cold.

"Hey everyone," Jane greeted them.

And it was a period of reunions, hugs, and kisses between every single family member. Chris and Michael went out to the car to retrieve Jane's belongings.

Jane seemed particular excited that she was going to be living in the pool house on the other side of patio. It would give her the space she needed to work and the privacy so she could rest.

Mornings in the Hastings household were chaotic and there was no need to expose her to that.

Once they had finished their dinner, Rebekah helped her niece in taking her bags over to her new room.

"You are sure you do not mind living out here?" she asked. "You can live in the guest room if you would like."

"Nah," Jane replied. "I stay up late looking at the stars. The pool patio will give me that chance and not disturb anyone."

"This is true," she answered back. "Especially with security always around."

Her niece laughed.

"Well, get comfy, start a fire in the fireplace by your bed, and I will see you in the morning or when you get up." She was about to leave.

"Aunt Beckah," Jane called out for her.

"Yes dear," she said.

"Thank you, again. For everything."

Rebekah came and hugged her tightly. "Welcome home baby," she whispered, leaving a kiss on her head. "Welcome home."

* * *

_OK, so now we know where Erik, Barton, and Jane are...but what about a certain someone else. Next chapter everyone! Do not forget those reviews!_


	3. Chapter 2 Haunted

_As I promised you everyone, here is the return of our beloved prince. And I think he needs some love after what we all witnessed in The Avengers. Of course this is an establishment chapter, so there is not much love right now. _**  
**

_For your music, I would listen to "My Bastard son" from Thor soundtrack. It just gives this chapter the creepy factor it needs.  
_

_Do not forget to review!_

* * *

**Chapter Two - Haunted**

_Jotunheim - Castle of Daggoran_

The frozen tundra of the realm of Jotunheim raged with howling winds, whipping snow, and ice falling from the sky.

The Frost Giants moved throughout their realm as though this were normal, but he would never find it to be normal. Who would dare want to be a part of this hellish realm.

Not that he was given a choice for two reasons. The first was that he was born here, but lived under the deception of his stepfather, the Allfather Odin, and the second, he was cast down here after he attempted to destroy it; not that these demons would know it.

He had escaped the possible, no the likelihood of his exile and punishment at the Allfather's hands.

The castle of onyx granite that pierced from the ground was where he lived as its ruling sorcerer. They were still trying to determine if he was indeed whom he claimed to be. Was he indeed the son of Laufey and Farbuti and cast aside due to his size?

The mindless elders were communing, but he would still be granted authority until it could be proven.

Near the top of the castle in his private quarters (sufficiently heated of course), a pool steamed with the hot water evaporating into cold around.

Slowly, raven hair that was soaked with water broke the surface followed by flesh and emerald eyes. The spheres looked around scanning his room for any presence before he stepped out in all his glory.

Loki, fallen prince from Asgard slowly walked up the steps from the pool in perfect grace. He walked, his warm body and the cool atmosphere meshing as steam rose from his skin.

He walked in all his presence toward a bench where his robe was resting. Gently, he slipped his arms into the black silk and leathers. The silk brushed along his back, stinging at the scars and tattoos that lined his shoulders and spine.

It stung when he remembered all the battles and trials that he had been through that deformed him so. There was one in particular he would never forget.

The hissing serpent he could still hear in his ears. Its venom would always linger in his mouth. The bonds forever indented and staining his flesh.

But then there were those eyes, cool and perfect with a sparkle that looked upon him. The smell of rich roses filled his senses with pleasure.

Shaking his head, Loki returned his focus and finished getting dressed so that he could go downstairs.

The frost giants that would decide his fate should be returning soon and until they made their decision, he would always look his best.

However, Calindor the current ruler was not keen about relinquishing the throne to him. However, if they determined that he was indeed the son of Laufey, no one would have any say.

The throne was his.

And if could not destroy this realm, he would at least rule of this land that was of his homeland heritage and would with an iron fist if they defied him. Whomever challenged him, there would be hell to pay.

Soon, he was not alone.

A lowly frost gnome entered his chamber, but stopped and retreated back to the archway. It was clear that this creature feared him.

"My lord," it spoke, "may I enter your sacred space?"

"Dependent...of how useful you are in your mission," he answered. "If your information is something I can use, perhaps I will spare your life."

"Yes Lord Loki," the minion said. "As you are no doubt aware of the destruction of the BiFrost Bridge in the realm of Asgard..."

"I am very well aware!" he shouted in anger. How could he not? He fell from that very bridge when his brother destroyed it.

The gnome was cowering in upset that he was stating the obvious.

"The Jotuns have a method of passage to the realm of Asgard as well," the minion cowered, crying it out before he would strike him with the back of his hand.

Loki was intrigued at this revelation. The Jotuns had a method of traveling between the realms, but more importantly, one that would take him...and an army through to Asgard.

There he would raze it to the ground.

"A passage to the realm eternal," he savored as the plans revealed themselves in his mind. "An army that could go forth and lay ruin to Asgard. My father could watch as his people fall all around him while I move to end his life. How bittersweet it would be that his son, the one he lied to for all these years, will be the one to punish him for those lies."

The mage was trying to interrupt him as he spoke, but he would not allow him to spoil his triumphant speech.

"How sweet it will be."

"But master..." the magician finally got his words in, "the portal gate was sealed and locked away by Mistress Farbuti and King Laufey; in accordance with Lord Odin's demands. It requires a power source. Something that could be used to power it and then we have to worry about having it operational."

Loki spun, his cloak wrapping around the bottom part of his legs.

"This is unacceptable," he told him. "How long am I to wait before I am granted what I want more in this life?"

"I am not an expert in portals or inner-realm travel," the magician told him. "We would need someone who can set the power to it and then proceed to have it target Asgard."

Obviously, there was no one on Jotunheim that would fit that particular description. He was not welcome in Asgard and magicians would not be able to get it working.

But there were a couple of humans who possessed that knowledge.

"Talriq," Loki finally called him by name.

"Yes my lord," Talriq replied.

"What do you know of Midgard and the race of people who live there?"

"Humans?" the gnome answered. "I understand that they are small and weak. Constantly fighting and bickering with one another. They are prone to self-destructive habits and behaviors, but overall nowhere near the glory of the gods."

"Do you believe that they could survive here in Jotunheim?" His eyes were locked with him.

"Here, in our realm? If they were to come here, it could not for long. Because of their physiology they would be dead with days. If I may be so bold, why do you inquire?"

"There are two humans on Midgard who are researching and studying the stars," Loki told him as he paced. "One young lady in particular might be very useful." He looked out the balcony window and stared into the sky.

"But are the humans still under the protection of Lord Odin and now Prince Thor as well. How will you acquire this woman?"

Loki smiled. "With the greatest of ease," he said. "I will have her coming to me." He looked and spoke out in the direction of the sky. "Hear me Jane Foster. I promised I would come to pay you a visit. It is time I make good on my threat."

And he chuckled quietly.

* * *

_Oh goodness, here we go again. Do not forget to review!_


	4. Chapter 3 Somewhere out there

_We are saying good-bye to our prince for just a bit and returning to Midgard.  
_

_For this chapter, the song Jane is listening to is "Somewhere Out There." You might remember it from the cartoon American Tail, but I got the Cupid's Heroes (Greatest Love Songs of All Time Vol. 1) version playing for me.  
_

_Please remember to review._

* * *

**Chapter Three - Somewhere out there  
**

It was a gorgeous fall night and Uncle Mike had chosen to man the barbecue and they were going to have a wonderful family dinner on the patio.

Rachael was texting on her phone and Chris was lighting the citronella torches to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

Rebekah came out carrying the pitcher of lemonade while she balanced the bowl of beans on her arm.

"A little help here," she announced.

Chris came running before the beans took a tumble.

"And Hastings comes in for the save," the son announced in a voice that was amusing and deep.

Rachael rolled her eyes.

"Who are you talking to?" her mother asked.

"Probably Tony...or is Victor this week...or is it..." her brother jested with her.

"His name is Kenton," she told him. "He's a freshmen at Boston University. Going into pre-law."

"Too old for you young lady," the father said.

"But daddy..."

"No buts about it. Sixteen next year or not, you are not going to start hooking up with a boy that is older than you," the mother told her.

"Score one for mom and dad," Chris said.

"Shut it Chris. And how can you be so hypocritical to me and not Jane. She lives here too and is pining after a god, who happens to be hundreds of years older than her no doubt."

"Because she is our niece and a grown woman," Mike responded. "You are my daughter and I care about you. Speaking of, where is Jane?"

"Where she always is," Rachael replied. "Sitting out on a lawn lounger staring up into the stars with her silly little book. No doubt her head in the clouds thinking about that Norse god boyfriend of hers."

Rebekah and Michael looked to one another.

* * *

Stretched out on a patio lounger, Jane Foster was covered in a small blanket to ward off the chill. Her ear-buds were thoroughly plugged into her ears while her two favorite books and a pencil rested on her lap.

Her eyes were thoroughly locked on the sparkling stars and the quarter moon that was above her.

The sweet music in her ears she hummed along to the beat, a romantic tune that she always listened to on repeat. It often reminded her of why she continued her research even without her grant.

The universal tree that Thor had drawn in her notebook was being redrawn, probably for the second or third time by her pencil. It often reminded her of what she was fighting for. His voice echoed in her ears when he had explained it to her.

Setting the old leather bound for the mythology book that was lying underneath the chair, Jane turned it to the same familiar page. It had become such by the bending of the spine to this page.

She looked up to the twinkling stars that shone down on her while listening to the lyrics.

"Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moon night, someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight," she sang very softly to the female lyrics, but did not sing the male vocals.

Jane imagined Thor, standing on the Rainbow Bridge or off a balcony in his palace, singing those same lyrics and thinking about her. "And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think that we're sleeping underneath the same big sky," she finished the words.

A hand grasped and touched her shoulder.

A little startled, she turned sharply seeing it was her aunt. She pulled out her headphones so she could hear her.

"Seeing anything interesting out there tonight?" her aunt asked and took a seat in the chair beside her.

"Not really," she answered. "The same constellations and patterns. Nothing different."

"I wanted to come and get you because your uncle is quite fantastic when it comes to grilling and he wanted to cookout tonight."

"Sounds divine," she said and got up from the bench.

They walked back through the patio fencing to the table.

"Let me wash my hands and put my books inside," Jane said and walked into the pool house. She retreated and dropped off her Ipod and her books.

She took one last look at the childish image of her hero, kissing the graphic quickly, and then headed off to wash.

* * *

The book page bent over from the page about Mjolnir, Thor's might hammer and onto the page about Loki, the trickster god.

* * *

Jane joined the family out on the patio, munching down homemade ribs, beans, and salad. The lemonade was to die for as it was fresh squeezed and had lemon slices floating in it.

She never ate like this when she lived in New Mexico. Over the past three weeks, she wouldn't be shocked if she packed on ten pounds with all the gourmet food she had been consuming.

"So anyway kids, Jane, darling," Mike was saying, "the senate is having a Halloween party next weekend. I would like for us to go as a family...that means you too Jane."

She about choked on her lemonade.

"Not that I am not honored by that, but why me?" Jane asked.

"Well honey," Aunt Rebekah said, "you are living with us which technically makes you a part of the family. How many times do you get to go to a big-shot lavish party on the government's dime and have a splendid time?"

"And there is a theme this year," her uncle mentioned. "It is mystery characters. Anything from literature and media is fair game."

"Rock on," Chris added, "but are we all going to go as a family group costume?"

"But of course son."

Chris did not like that idea.

"Is there a group that is mystery based that we can all dress up as and do a family theme costume?" Aunt Rebekah asked.

"Actually, I was thinking the Clue characters," her uncle added. "Murder, mystery, suspense. What the perfect family themed costume."

"So long as none of us die of boredom by the end of the night," Rachael piped in.

Jane thought that this would be an interesting night to say the least.

Once dinner was all cleaned up, Aunt Rebekah dragged her up to the master suite and started rifling though the closet. With all the senatorial parties and affairs she had been to, it was no doubt that her aunt had accumulated hoards of gowns over her years.

"I am sure that I can find something Aunt Rebekah," she said as she sat on the trunk at the foot of the bed. "If not, I can go into Boston and find a purple jacket so I can be Professor Plum or something."

"But he is a guy Jane," was the response she got.

"It's OK. We can be the characters, but we do not need to be gender specific I would not think."

"Well, I do not have anything orchid or purple in my wardrobe. The red dress I have will not work for you to be Ms. Scarlet," her aunt was explaining while she searched. "Ohmigosh," she blurted out. "I thought I had gotten rid of this and it would be so perfect for you."

Her aunt emerged with a number that she did not expect. It was long, form fitting to her chest and torso, hang off her shoulders, and would go full flow down her body. It was a ball gown of royal blue and had gold and green silk that could be seen from a small slit in front.

"Ms. Peacock?" her aunt said. "This dress is perfect. I wore this gown when I was in college at the University of Michigan. All we would need is some peacock feathers to put into your hair and we can make you a mask from the craft store, as we are all going to need one, oh you will be a princess."

"I do not want to take the show away from anyone else. I am just a Foster after all."

Her aunt came and set the dress on the bed. Then she put her hands on her arms.

"You are not just a Foster young lady," she said. "You are Jane Elizabeth Foster, my niece whom I came to your rescue when you needed someone. All your uncle and I wanted was for you to be happy and successful and you have done just that. Now I am sure that your hero, no matter where he is, would love to see you get all dressed up for one night and see you like the princess he believes you to be."

Jane kept in a laugh and looked to her.

"You know that Halloween and I do not get along very well," she tried another excuse to get out of going to this party.

"I know, I do not like it myself. But always remember, especially why the psychologist used to tell you when you were having those nightmares when you were younger," her aunt was reaching into her past to come up with the best thing to say. "If we allow ourselves to be ruled by our past, how can we change the future?"

She remembered that lesson long ago.

So her decision was made. She would attend the party.

* * *

_OK, I got the inspiration for the dress from one of my other obsessions "Love Never Dies." If you have not seen it, go look it up on YouTube (Australian production). The dress that Christine wears for the title track is sort of the inspiration for this dress and the upcoming chapter. _

_Please review because there is a prince that is going to admiring the beauty that is Jane at the party...but is it who you think?  
_


	5. Chapter 4 Other worse evils

****_OK, this chapter was extremely hard to write...and I think it shows in the caliber. It is not one of my very strong chapters, even though it is so important to have it. That is the why the title is so ironic since the titles are designed to be a line or event in that particular chapter and this title matches how I am feeling._

_Please feel free to review it, but I would prefer if you saved it for other chapters.  
_

_I listened to "Don't take my stuff" from the Avengers soundtrack to get through it...and I stress get through it._

* * *

**Chapter Four - Other worse evils**

The castle of ice felt as though it shook with the massive feet that pounded through the halls. They exited the temple of the elders, traversed the cold ice bridge to the castle.

Calindor, son of Canpelor walked with his two trusted and most loyal friends.

But even their words of trust and dedication would not quell the rage that rose inside him.

The council of elders, the wisest giants in all of Jotunheim, were drawn to the fact that Loki, the son of their dead king Laufey was entitled to the throne. It was an issue of blood.

As its current ruler, he refused to bow to such a runt as Loki. He was small, diminutive, and looked like an Asgardian. Not his birthright as an Jotun Frost Giant. It was why he had been cast out.

Jotunheim, ruled by a such a small being? Magical or not, the Jotuns would be the laughing jest of the all the realms.

So he would make sure that Loki did not make it to his coronation.

The three of them would make him disappear...for good.

They charged through the halls, climbed the stairs through the central spire, and found the door that lead to Loki's chamber. He was not present when the decision was made, so he had to be there.

And they came to tell him the grand news and decision; by putting an icy spear in his back.

They all stopped just outside the door, noticing is glow with a green light. It was magically sealed.

"Let us enter to congratulate our king," the middle giant, Calindor said to his men.

They all growled with a smile as their hands started glowing with blue flames.

Each of them thrust out their hands toward the protected passage, unleashing their rage upon the magic.

The wavy protection barrier fluctuate and wane. Slowly it froze solid across and before the doors.

The former king approached the door, his hand freezing to form a spiked mace that would be used to crush the wall before them.

With a mighty swing of his weaponized hand, the ice wall cracked. With a second blow, a hole was formed. And with a final swing of his might, large shards of crystalized ice fell and crashed upon the floor.

His two minions charged and shoved the doors open, each using their shoulders and ready to defend him with their lives in the event that Loki fired upon them.

But there was nothing or no one in the chamber.

There was a large fire pit that warmed the chamber.

It reminded him of one stern reality. How could the council chose to elect and give the throne to one who lived in the warm halls of a palace and did not embrace the cold truth of his Jotun heritage.

Calindor passed a hand over the flame, causing it to extinguish. He would not be subjected to this warm reality that Loki lived in.

"Find him," he ordered.

His friends began to search the large royal chamber for their king. He could not feel him, but that did not mean that he was not there. Loki could be using one of his magical charms to hide from them.

But he would not escape him.

There was a sound of a whimpering being hidden in the curtains that lined the window.

Malak pulled out, hoping that it was Loki hiding out of fear. Alas it was not. The hider was nothing but a Jotun gnome.

These beings, smaller in stature, were seen as insignificant and worthy of being cast out...unless they showed great magical talent.

This was Talriq, son of Talran, and had been granted such leniency.

He approached the smaller being.

"Where is our king?" Calindor asked.

"I...I...I do not know what you are talking about," Talriq stuttered on his words.

He grabbed him, his hand completely surrounding the top of his head.

"Where is Master Loki Laufeyson, gnome?"

"Answer him slave," Partuk commanded, a long jagged blade extending from his hand, "or find yourself a little shorter."

The creature was still not going to speak, which meant that he was loyal to Loki.

"Then you have earned your fate my friend," the deposed leader said and tossed him in between the three of them. They towered over him with their superior height and rank. "Gentlemen, let us amuse ourselves for a while."

The three of them laughed slowly and devilishly before they loomed over him. Their weapons were poised to strike.

The gnome cowered under his anger, putting his hands around his head. He began to babble off the answer that he longed to keep secret, but obviously did not want to die.

"He has gone to Midgard!" Talriq cried out.

Calindor stopped his judgment upon the mage.

"Midgard?" he asked. "That pathetic home realm of the mortals. Why would he go there?"

"He wants to take an army to Asgard," the minor being continued to ramble.

"That is impossible," Malak said. "The portals to Asgard have been sealed for years. We cannot take an army there. None that would not be crushed by the Asgardians."

"But there is a maiden on Midgard. She is said to be a sage, to have vast knowledge in these affairs. She could get the portals to work and our king has gone to seek her out. He is going to bring her here and force her to activate the portals..."

"But humans cannot survive here," Partuk added, gripping the gnome tightly in his grasp. "She will die."

"I assume that our king will use something to keep her alive a little longer than normal."

Calindor was furious that this being was already calling Loki is his king. He was the king until the crown was placed upon Loki's head.

"How long ago has our ruler been absent from our realm?" he asked.

Talriq was being very quiet. He did not want to reveal how long their king was missing from his post.

"Release him," he ordered.

Talriq attempted to flee the chamber and scuttle to freedom.

Calindor magically came around, created a crooked blade of ice upon his hand, and sheathed it...into the neck of the Jotun gnome. His black blood covered the icy dagger.

The meek little wizard gurgled and fell to the ground.

"You have served your purpose minion," he spoke. "Now you may die."

Talriq was no more.

Calindor looked about the room and saw the other fine luxuries that Loki had treated himself to as prince. He looked to his reflection in a large looking glass that was mounted to the wall.

It reeked of him.

His most loyal friends and allies looked upon him. They appeared unsure of as to what he was about to request of them.

"Find us another magician who could take us to Midgard," he ordered of them. "If you chose to not obey this command, I will assume you are laying your life before our king; and my loyalty to you is forfeit."

Marak and Partuk both looked to one another and then brought a hand across their chests before dropping to one knee.

"You are our friend and our king," Partuk, son of Paltook spoke first. "We serve you till the end."

"Excellent," he replied.

"But how are we going to accomplish the task without the council coming back upon all of us?" Marak asked. "The elders and our people will ensure our very destruction if we are the ones caught with killing the king."

"On the contrary," Calindor snarled. "We get hold of this maiden of Midgard and make her work for us. With regards to our new king, there are other people that want Loki Laufeyson dead more than I do. It is time we let them have their revenge."

He threw the large ice boulder into the looking glass, shattering it pieces as the frame fell to the ground.

* * *

_That chapter was not my strongest one, so please do not stop reading if you were bored by it. I promise the remaining areas of the story are much different and much better. Please keep on reading and if you want to review, be my guest._


	6. Chapter 5 Those who wear masks

_OK, this chapter is long, but it makes up for that horrendous Chapter Four I wrote. Our power couple is about to reunite...but maybe not all the way we want it to be._

_Oh and you know what I forgot to do at the beginning of the story. I forgot to give you representations so you can visualize what our characters look like. Here is your list:  
_

_Here is the Hastings Family characters whom you have previously met: **Rebekah Hastings** - Susanna Thompson (Lt. Col. Mann from NCIS), **Sen. Michael Hastings** - Matthew Bomer (Neal Caffery from White Collar), **Rachael Hastings** - Victoria Justice (VicTORIous), and **Christopher Hastings** - Max Irons (Henry from Red Riding Hood)  
_

_Please review this one.  
_

_The dance they share is to Alias' "More than Words Can Say," so please enjoy it._

* * *

**Chapter Five - Those that wear masks**

The mirror had to have added several pounds and Jane did not feel the same in this gown that she was borrowing from her aunt.

Why was she going to this silly costume party for Halloween? Her Uncle Mike said that he wanted her to attend and meet some of his fellow senators and congressmen. Apparently she was the talk of some of the committees on her discoveries.

Last weekend, her aunt had tried to convince her to go and get out with the family and all.

But the royal blue gown, the jeweled mask she made, and the peacock feathers? Was this not a bit much?

Though the blue gown was lovely, it was the only thing that she was going to be able to fit in and still keep some of her dignity.

She put on the full-length gloves and the peacock feathers in the back of her barrette.

She hated Halloween. Not because it was considered to be a juvenile holiday, but it was the anniversary of the car accident that took her parents from her. Ironic that a ghostly holiday would turn her parents into permanent ghosts in her life. Jane kissed locket that had a photo of her parents kept tightly within and put it into her purse.

It was time to face the music, she thought and headed out, her masquerade mask and party purse in hand.

* * *

Rebekah Hastings was finishing up a phone call with the hospital on who was currently enlisted within the maternity ward. If there was any chance she was going to have to leave, she wanted to be ready.

She slinked around the kitchen in her dragging red flapper dress while she was preparing her purse and other goods for transport.

Her daughter Rachael bounded down the steps and her mother about died.

"Uh uh," she said.

"What? I am Mrs. White, the french maid," her daughter protested.

"You are showing a bit too much young lady," she told her. "Fix that costume at once and cover up a little more."

Rachael threw a temper tantrum as she headed passed her brother and went back upstairs.

Her son Christopher came down in his full length suit of black with emerald pinstripes and shirt to match. He adorned his gangster style hat with a playing card.

"Very interesting Mr. Green," the mother told her son.

"I know, slick, huh?" Chris replied. "Had to put my own spin on it." He gave two smoking gun salutes complete with sounds.

She laughed at her son.

Her husband Michael came in from the den, his costume of Colonel Mustard in full ensemble. He was setting up the monocle in his eye.

"The driver just showed up everyone," Michael announced. "We need to get going."

"As soon as your daughter decides that she maybe going as a Mrs. White, but not as a hooker," Rebekah replied.

"Oh good god," he replied and went to the stairs. "Rach..." but he stopped mid-sentence. "Darling," he called into the arched hallway passage.

Chris and Rebekah came to the staircase and looked up.

There came their niece / cousin in the costume of Ms. Peacock. The royal blue gown with gold and green underlay dragged behind her on the stairs. The feathers in her hair gave it the explosion of appeal to her already present beauty. She knew the dress would work for Jane exquisitely.

"Oh Janie," she said.

"What?" Jane asked. "Too much."

"You look stunning my dear," Mike answered. "Absolutely stunning."

"Thank you Uncle Mike," their niece answered.

Finally, after changing her nylons from the thigh-highs and putting on a small sweater underneath the costume, Rachael came down the stairs and the entire clan got into the car.

It was a decent drive down out to the city of Boston where the party was going to be held. It was nice having a husband who was a public official as it meant that they were going to have transportation there and back.

No one had to worry about getting hurt or being too tired to drive.

Rebekah looked to her children that were busy on their mobile phones, but Jane was looking out the window into the dark of night.

"Janie," she called her childhood name. Jane looked to her. "You OK sweetheart?"

"Hmm. Me? Yeah, I am fine," she answered.

"You just look distracted," her husband asked. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh just the stars," she answered and looked back to the window. "Thinking about someone who is out there beyond the cosmos."

They knew of the adventures that she had before coming to live with them. They did not want to talk about it too much for fear of depressing her.

"Well, I am sure that he is doing the same thing, seeing how beautiful you are tonight," Rebekah said. "Right?"

"Absolutely," Mike answered.

And Jane smiled before she braced her head against the window and continued to look out at the stars.

* * *

After the thirty minute ride and ten minutes of being shuttled in through all the security and traffic, the black limousine pulled up outside a large ornate castle that was situated on the Boston University campus.

It looked like a palace covered in luscious gardens and twinkling fireflies all around.

No wonder this was a costume ball, Jane thought as she stared out the window. They were going all out for this event.

The door was opened by a valet and he asked for her hand.

Jane took it reluctantly and got out of the car...to an onslaught of camera flashes and people curious as to who she was.

Her uncle climbed out in order to rescue her. "Please, please," Mike greeted everyone.

The family all unloaded and gathered for a group photo.

She did not know why she was in the photo. She was not a Hastings. She was a Foster.

But they insisted that she come so she had to be in the picture as well.

* * *

Within the trees that lined a diminutive castle that was decorated in motley celebration of lights and grandeur, Prince Loki stood on a tall limb staring into the crowd.

His golden helmet was getting ensnared in the branches, but that was not his main concern at the moment.

The beautiful woman in blue with a bird's feathers protruding from her hair was what he sought. The passage to Midgard had brought him to this place and he arrived only moments ago. He wondered why he had been set down here...until he saw her standing in the crowd.

She stared around in wonder, but was staying close to the other two adults and the two younger ones. Jane Foster was staying close to family.

How to gain entry, he thought outloud to himself.

Loki searched around the perimeter to assess his surroundings. There were snipers in every corner as well as several armed men with human weapons that could cause him harm, but not kill him.

Still he did not want to cause a scene and lose sight of Ms. Foster. He did not want to alert and lose his opportunity to claim her.

It appeared that infiltrating this celebration quietly would be the ideal tactic.

He leapt into the air in order to gain access from elsewhere.

* * *

After they were checked in at the desk, it was masks or disguises on as they walked down the hall toward the main audience room. People were constantly greeting them and shaking their hands or kissing their palms.

She knew that this was going to be a long night. Not just for the fact that tomorrow was the anniversary of the car accident that nearly claimed her life, but that of her parents, but if she was going to be accosted by all these people who knew her uncle, she was going to need a drink.

Jane headed for the bar and got herself a glass a wine so she could vanish into the crowd.

It did not last long as her uncle came to retrieve her.

"Gentlemen, my lovely niece Jane Foster," her uncle introduced her. "I believe you know her from her Foster Theory on opening temporal gates to other worlds."

"So you are the Ms. Foster we have been hearing about," the man in the Sherlock Holmes looking costume stated. "We have been hearing a lot about you from Commander Fury and the Department of Homeland."

"Really?" she asked as stared at them beyond the mask that covered her eyes. "I never would have thought that I, I mean my theory would have made it to Washington already."

"Oh my dear, we are deeply intrigued by some of your theories," another man said next to her uncle. "We heard that your grant was pulled."

"Wow, I guess that was even better news that traveled fast," she added and took a drink of her wine. "I apologize for my bluntness, but I could understand that there were budget cuts and other reasons why to pull my grant."

"But there are other things that could be cut away besides someone who is having successes," her uncle defended her. "Correct me if I am wrong gentlemen?"

They all seemed to agree with him.

OK, maybe this night wasn't going to be a total waste of her time.

* * *

Loki found the weakness in the security infantry that lined the castle. It was on a rear patio entrance where he landed very gracefully on a walk-path that led toward the large doors that allowed him to look inside.

All of the people were adorned in costumes, masks, and decorum that prevented people around them from identifying one another; completely.

This was too perfect, he thought. He could sneak in, even in his armor and attire and get close enough to Jane Foster that she would never suspect.

No, she would know. He had seen from his time as King of Asgard the book in her possession. She would know exactly who he was and not trust him.

How would he get close to her?

Loki saw that the servers and maids that were wearing pretty much the same costume. The women wore servant clothing, while the men wore suits with capes while a mask covered their faces. The masks were depicted as hiding a deformity behind it.

Perfect, he thought and made it his appearance with the use of a little magic.

* * *

Aunt Rebekah and Uncle Mike were out on the floor dancing to the orchestra that was playing.

Her cousins were able to locate some of their parent's friend's kids and were dancing with them. Perhaps Rachael had found that boy she had been talking about last weekend to dance with.

But Jane stayed off to the side as she did not want to dance. It was just not her thing.

She took another glass of chardonnay and consumed it quickly.

The eyes of the people staring at her and the Ms. Peacock look sent chills up her spine and back down again. These people were talking about her and she could not stand it.

If her uncle wasn't a senator and her aunt a prominent physician, she would have taken these jealous women out back to get them to stop.

She really had to stop thinking like Thor. Hit now, ask questions later, was not the way to approach this.

So Jane would continue to stand there.

The music ceased and everyone was wondering if they wanted to dance again, switch partners, or rest.

"Pardon me beautiful lady," a voice startled her. "Might I have this dance?"

Jane looked to the origin of the voice. He was a tall, but young man. His black hair was combed back and fanned out near his neckline while piercing emerald eyes stared beyond a silver mask that covered the top half of his face.

His costume was obviously the Phantom of the Opera, or something of that sort.

"Sure," she stuttered and headed out to the floor; her hand grasped lightly in her partner's clinch.

She was not ready to be lead to the very epicenter of the entertainment, but apparently her partner wanted to be there.

He took her right hand high and placed a hand around near the base of her spine. She placed her left hand on his elbow while holding onto some of the excess of her peacock gown up.

They slowly danced around the floor, starting out slow and eventually spinning around in circles. Her dance partner eventually released her and spun her out and around before him. The gown she wore fanned out about her.

People began to stare and Jane was reluctant to ask her partner to pull back and reel her in, but she did not want to be rude.

She was kind of liking the attention at last not for her mind, but something else.

He spun her around several times to where, due to the wine she had been drinking, it made her very dizzy.

He pulled her into his embrace and held her tightly to his chest. His heart was racing matching his labored breath. They continued to twirl and move about the floor amongst the other people who were envious of how they danced amongst them.

The music ceased and they received a thunderous applause for some reason.

Staring into each other's eyes after he had bowed her lightly behind, Jane could not help that there was something about this man. His emerald eyes had a shimmer to them that drew her in.

He brought her back up and kissed her hand. "Thank you," he whispered. "Till we meet again."

Jane immediately thought of Thor when he touched her hand. The kiss was soft and felt the exact same.

He left the floor as did she, but her cousins swarmed her.

"Who was that cuz?" Rachael wanted to know.

"I don't know," she answered, "but he acts like someone I know." And she gave chase.

Her cousin tried protesting, but there was nothing that she could do to stop her.

* * *

Loki made his way, purposely getting lost in the crowd. He wanted to make Jane Foster have to fight to find him. She was not going to catch him so easily.

He would look back and smile at her. She would draw closer and he could retreat away.

Slowly, he slipped through the curtains out to the balcony where he darted behind the door.

Jane came running out and stopped when she did not see him.

She seemed disappointed and so he stepped out from his position.

"Who am I kidding?" she grumbled. "That was not..."

And they met again.

"You are quite the hunter," he said to her.

"Generally you are when you desire to know who your dance partner is," she replied and turned to face him. "Who are you?"

"Just a guest although I was not invited," he told her.

"So you are a crasher? You know that this is a place with a lot of government bigwigs and that you could probably get shot or killed for crashing this party?"

Loki chuckled. "I dare them to try," he told her.

He reached out for her cheek and lightly touched it with the back of his hand. Her skin was soft and smooth. It was perfect to the touch without so much as a flaw minus the beauty mark below her eye.

Using his hands, he lifted the mask from her eyes. The cosmetics that lined her rims were dark with blues and greens to match her gown with a delicate sparkle to them.

"You are very lovely," he told her, still reeling her in with his romanticisms and charms.

Jane stepped closer to him. "I know nothing about you," she said near while looking up to him, "but yet, I feel as though I do. Have we met before?"

"I am afraid not, though I sure wish we had."

Their eyes continued to follow and scan one another. This little human was trying to get a read on him and figure him out.

Loki knew he needed to go in for the first strike.

Their lips tenderly crossed the threshold and met together. Hers were soft and had a residual taste of the drinks she had been consuming.

Jane moved closer to him, revealing that she was spellbound. Her hand moved to grasp his upper arm tenderly.

He wove a hand into her curled mass upon her head. It was becoming apparent that he was losing control in her aura, but at least it would help it securing her trust to him.

Now for his triumph.

Loki moved his hands to put them gingerly around her throat. They crept, tenderly caressing her flesh to where they were completely wrapped. It was not his goal to kill her. Weaken her to where he would carry her away from this lonely little realm. This distraction would ensure his victory and no one was around to see him do it or know who did it.

Just as he was about to commence his plan, their minds connected on a level unexplained.

He could see memories of his past. The death of his brother Baldur, the venom trial that he had been subjected too, but his memory was focused on the woman who held the bowl above his head.

She had oceans of curly hair and crystal eyes. She would sit at his side, humming a sweet tune and at times, would caress his face.

This woman kept the venom of the serpent from reaching into his mouth, but there were times that the bowl needed emptying and some would enter him.

But she always returned...until one day, she vanished.

It gave him the strength to survive after his bonds had been broken, but he never found his beautiful wife.

How is that he was thinking of his wife Sigyn while he kissed Jane Foster?

Loki had to pull away out of exhaustion and disbelief. He looked to the ground and then up at Ms. Foster who was also struggling to breathe.

"What..." she asked in breathlessness. "What was that? That was..."

Apparently that which he had seen she had been privileged to see as well. How their memories were connected, he could not fathom.

He could not nor did he want to explain it to her. Hence, he ran away out into the gardens. Once he was out of sight, he used an invisibility charm to hide from her.

Jane had pursued him, but once he was invisible, she could not any longer. "Oh just peachy," she spoke in frustration before She returned back to the castle.

Loki allowed himself to appear again and approached the doors to gaze into the party, his eyes following wherever Jane Foster went. People talked to her, but she was distracted as she searched him out.

Once the festivities were slowing and people began to depart, Loki watched as Jane Foster and the people that he figured to be her family climbed into a transport that would carry them home.

His flight was short, but he found his way to a large home surrounded by guarding walls and covered in lush gardens and fields.

A glowing pool separated the main house from a smaller house.

It was the radiant maiden that was walking around the pool that he was watching. He landed gracefully upon the roof.

Jane Foster walked across the pool's edge. She carried her purse and shoes in hand as she walked.

The little mortal turned around, causing him to duck down so she did not see him.

She entered the smaller home and closed the door behind her.

Loki delicately leapt from the main house and landed gracefully upon the roof of the smaller home.

There was a window that would allow him to look down into the house.

Jane walked into her bedroom, plucking out the feathers from her hairpiece and allowing her locks to fall delicately passed her shoulders.

She pulled down something underneath her arm that would allow her to remove the dress from her body. She pulled it up the entire gown over her head and allowed it to pile on her bed.

Her body was covered in undergarments that flattered and covered her figure.

Why was is even looking at her in this way? She was the object that he wished to claim? To assist in him taking an army to Asgard to destroy it.

But he had also wanted to claim Sigyn as well?

His heart was in conflict. How would he explain this? Better to know, how would he pursue this matter?

One question still plagued him however: was this mortal in fact his wife?

* * *

_Is she? You will have to review to give me the inspiration to find out._


	7. Chapter 6 With this ring I thee wed

_WOW! I am overwhelmed by the response from Chapter Five. It was amazing! You guys liked that I am going into the Norse myth of our prince a little more. Well, for those of you that like that chapter, this is for you. _

_We go back into the past to a very significant event in the lives of our prince and his bride.  
_

_Your musical selections for this chapter will be: Sigyn prepping for her wedding and walking down the aisle = "Vangelis processional hymne", when they leave the cathedral = "Finale" off of Tron: Legacy, and their first night would be "Nocturne" also from Tron: Legacy.  
_

_Oh and of note, I do not own the lines from "The Red Necklace" that the wonderful Tom Hiddleston narrated on the audiobook, however I heard him read it, got my creepy shivers up my spine, and knew it had to go in here. This is homage to that story and his ever impressive talent.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Six - With this ring, I thee wed**

_Asgard_

The kingdom radiated with golden light as white hawks and doves flew around the Allfather's palace.

The gorgeous sun poured inward from the balcony as Sigyn, Daughter of Iwaldi was a seat at her vanity table. She sat very still as her mother Freya brushed out her brown curls to radiate and shine with the sun.

She was preparing for this grand day in her eternity. She would marrying her love Theoric before all her family and friends of Asgard.

It was a day that she longed to happen and finally at last she would be wed.

Her mother took a brush to pull her hair to her crown where her circlet tiara would be placed around her head.

"You are most beautiful my darling," her mother's reflection told her own.

"Do you believe so?" she asked.

Freyja kissed her cheek. "If only your father could see this day," she whispered. Taking her hands gently, they walked from the bench to step into the dress that lay strewn across her floor.

The servants pulled it up to where the white silk rested on her hips. The corset would be strung in the back once the lace of her sleeves were filled with her arms.

They began the process of stringing up the back to tie her into it and Sigyn looked to her mother.

"Tell," she asked. "What do you think?"

"Without insulting Frigga herself, but you are the fairest woman in all of Asgard," her mother replied. "You will make a fine wife to Theoric and make Odin proud to be giving you to one of his Crimson Hawks."

Freyja came to her with a pendant of pearl wrapped in gold that she wrapped around her neck. "For my darling on the most important day of your life."

Sigyn looked the medallion.

* * *

Music began to fill the hallways of the palace and both women looked to the doors that separated them from the throne room.

Her mother took her hands again. "Come darling. Your destiny awaits."

The royal throne room was filled with people from the city and all around the realm of Asgard.

Odin Allfather stood at the throne dais awaiting the arrival of his great hunter and his betrothed whom he would be uniting in marriage today.

Thor stood off to his right awaiting the groom's arrival. Apparently, he needed to hunt this morning in order to quell the emotions that raced through him. He promised to fly in for his wedding ceremony without delay.

Suddenly from the opening in the ceiling of the throne room, the crimson hawk cawed as it glided in with grace. The awe of the people in the chamber filled him with great joy.

Just before he reached the stage, Theoric became his human form walking in grace as though he had been walking the entire time.

"Welcome Theoric, my elite hunter," Odin greeted him.

"Greetings my king," Theoric answered and bowed. "As I swore, I am here to take the hand of my bride."

"Then let her come," Odin declared and rapped his staff upon the ground. "Sigyn, daughter of Iwaldi, please grace us with your presence."

The musicians began to play a lovely hymn, a bridal march that signaled that she was to enter the chamber and come to the altar.

From the edge of the staircase, the bride appeared and in her lovely gown carrying a bouquet of white roses and violets from what appeared to be Loki's garden. They were among some of the most beautiful that his wife Frigga had gone to select for her.

Sigyn arrived to be near Theoric. She looked at him with a devoted stare and sparkle of love.

Odin proceeded to go through the ceremony, exchanging a token ring to one another. He anointed them with a new beginning and bound their hands together with a golden thread.

"Theoric, you may now claim your bride Sigyn, daughter of Iwaldi," Odin declared.

The two of them shared a breathless kiss to seal their joyful moment.

But that moment then turned to sheer dread.

Theoric suddenly transformed into Odin's son Loki, the god of mischief.

The people in the throne room were shocked and dismayed to learn that Sigyn was now married to Loki.

"Loki," Thor shouted, prepared to attack him. "What have you done?"

"Done whatever it takes brother," he said, wrapping an arm around Sigyn's waist to pull her against him. "Taking what I desire."

Sigyn was in shock and did struggle lightly, but she could not pry herself free.

"Where is Theoric?" Odin asked. "What have you done with him Loki?"

"Theoric, he went hunting with some hawks as he claimed he was going," Loki replied. "Last I saw, there were trolls out in the realm searching for prey. There is no telling what they will do."

Sigyn and everyone in the chamber gasped. Loki had set up Theoric to be killed by trolls. He no doubt was gone or he would not have come here; so bold and controlling.

"Loki Odinson," his father called upon him. "This is a dastardly act even for something you would do. She was not to marry you and therefore this marriage is not..."

"Oh but it is," her "husband" answered as he displayed the ring. "You joined us in the sacred rite of marriage. There is no breaking that." He looked down upon her. "Sigyn is my wife and she will be from now until the end of time."

"Not if I kill you first broth...," Thor started to say when she finally spoke out.

"No," she said stepping in front him before Mjolnir had the chance to strike him. "I cannot allow you to do this."

"Sigyn, he has lied and stolen you against your will," Frigga stated. "You do not have to agree to this union."

"Marriage is sacred," she told them. "Though he was not my betrothed, I am duty and honor bound to be his wife, confidant, and lover from now until the end."

"And it is time that we left this chaotic hall where I am not welcomed," Loki said. "Let us go wife." He took her wrist and was going to pull her out of the cathedral.

"Hold!" Odin ordered. "Step before me child of Freyja and Iwaldi."

Sigyn yanked her arm free of his grasp and approached her king. "Yes," she said and bowed to him.

"For your bravery, your loyalty, and your belief into the sanctity in preserving this holy act," her king announced, "I do forever declare you, Sigyn, to be the goddess of fidelity, marriage, and commitment. Receive this blessing and protection from your king." Odin kissed the top of her head.

Loki reached up and took hold of her arm. She was forcefully led away down the aisle and out of the throne room.

* * *

The darkest night came over Asgard following the events of the day. People retreated to their dwellings instead of out joyfully celebrating the marriage.

The prince of Asgard was in his chambers located near his private garden. He was awaiting the arrival of his bride who insisted upon preparing herself.

It was the perfect plan. He desired a bride who could gain him a foothold into taking the throne of his kingdom. Thor would no doubt be the one who would be considered first, but as long as he was married, Loki had a chance to claim it first.

Not if he killed his wife first. What could be taking her so long?

"Sigyn," he called her name. "What is keeping you?"

His wife emerged from behind her changing screen in her long white nightdress. Her hair had been released from the brooch, allowing curls to caress her shoulders and back.

A lone golden headband adorned her crown.

"I have come, my husband," she answered his calling.

Loki sat upon the edge of the place that would become their marriage bed. "Come closer," he demanded.

Sigyn did as requested, coming to stand before him.

He stood before her, forcing her face to look upon him with his hand gathering her chin in a tight grip.

She winced and declared that she was in pain.

"This is nothing compared to what I will do to you if you refuse any of commands, declarations, or orders," he told her. "I will be the first man to kiss you, to bed you, whether you chose to come willingly or not. You are mine and mine alone. Do you understand?"

His wife stepped back from him. "If you wish me to never disobey you," Sigyn spoke, "I ask for you to treat me as your equal. Allow me to be your wife and not just a possession you own."

This angered him.

Loki grabbed her by her upper arms, spinning her around to where she was now against the bed and he trapped her between him and it.

"Tonight at that altar, you surrendered everything to me," he angrily reminded her. "You swore your allegiance to me, now and forever. So if I chose to treat you as a possession and not as my equal, I have that right to do as I please."

"Please, my lord, I beg you," Sigyn tried crying her way to get him to release her. "I meant no ill will."

"Then let this be your warning, wife, that you belong to me until the end of time," he told her just before he forced his lips to hers.

This was to be the first night of many that they would be together by his force. When he wanted to be with her, Sigyn for her own sake had best been able to deliver to him.

Sigyn rested in her marriage bed while her husband slept calmly at her side. His wrist held onto her left one very tightly, making sure she did not flee him.

But as her body recovered from giving herself completely to her husband, she watched the sun faded away, mimicking the joy in her life to leave Asgard in darkness.

She prayed for the sun to rise and one day she would free.

* * *

_I think that I nailed Loki and Sigyn's unloving relationship. However that was a pretty sad and emotion filled chapter. Please review and tell me what you thought._


	8. Chapter 7 When the past returns

_OK, I have been on a roll and my fingers are about ready to collapse. Trying to type three different stories and do school work at the same time, whew! I am overwhelmed by the response that "Those that wear masks" got. _

_OK, we are taking a break from our power couple to revisit the family on Asgard. Please enjoy and review!  
_

_Music: It all comes from the Thor soundtrack. Preparations and Thor as king, "Prologue," a warrior arrives in Asgard "Sons of Odin," When a prophecy is read "Odin Confesses"_

* * *

**Chapter Seven - When the past returns**

- ASGARD -

The realm eternal. Heaven. It had a variety of names to be called, but it was more importantly known for being the home of the Asgardian gods.

It was the place where power and protection called home.

People moved throughout the city went about their daily lives in salutation and appreciation of all the gods had blessed them with.

The Castle of the Allfather was however different from its normal routine that they or its citizens dealt with on a daily occurrence.

Castle guards lined the hallway that lead to two, large golden chamber doors, the engravings creating the Yggdrasil Tree of the realms. It was an honor to protect their king...especially when it came time to a scheduled Odinsleep period.

Lady Frigga kissed her dear husband's hands and watched him fall backwards, very slowly, onto the bed where he would lay until it was over. His jeweled eye always held her in high esteem at this moment.

At least this sleep was known. They were prepared with security details, there were no threats to Asgard currently, and her son was home to assume control till his father awoke.

She ordered the doors sealed and Thor was insistent that the Warriors Three stand guard until they were called upon.

With Loki in Jotunheim, there was no telling how dangerous he would become.

Frigga shed a tear for her fallen son. Even though he was a Jotun and by blood not her son, she had still raised him. He would always be a son to her.

It had reached their ears that Loki had been crowned King of Jotunheim, his birthright. Odin thought that Loki would attempt a preemptive strike and did not want to surrender to the Odinsleep.

However, Thor assured him he would remain on guard till he awoke. Asgard would be protected.

This put the both of them at ease and they were able to complete their duty.

* * *

With his strong hand, he inserted the spear of his father into a space where it would be held by the throne and yet he would not have to have his hand upon it at all times.

Thor Odinson preferred Mjolnir to always be at his hand.

The elder son of Lord Odin walked out to the balcony, silver helmet adorning his head and stared out upon the city and his realm. The people below looked and bowed to him out of respect. He had dreamed of the moment that he would be king one day.

This would be a marvelous training experience for him and to prove himself worthy in the eye of his father.

His dear friend Sif came to join him at his side as a light breeze touched and graced his cape and her hair.

"Security is set my lord," Sif reported to him. "No current or credible threats to our realm. Our king has submitted to the Odinsleep and you are now King. How does it feel?"

"Feels..." he tried to describe it, but found that words were too hard to come by. "I cannot describe them Sif. It feels as though the day is normal. The sun has risen, the people move about their lives, the water flows, what more could make this day better?"

"That this be a permanent arrangement," she suggested.

Thor chuckled.

"I think I would still yet want more time until I am crowned king," he told her. "There is still so much that I want to do. So much still that needs to be done before I can take the reins of my father."

Sif put a hand upon his arm. "That is the answer of a wise king," she replied.

Thor looked to the sky and focused his eyes on the same point that he often looked to. It was a glowing blue star out in the middle of the sky, invisible unless you knew where to look.

Because of her, he would always know where to look.

He often checked in on Jane Foster, but with all the preparations of this Odinsleep, it had been some time since he had gazed upon her. However Heimdall swore an oath that if anything were to befall her or any danger were to threaten her life on Midgard, he was to be notified immediately.

There had been no word so he assumed that she was safe.

Loki had not made good on his promise to "visit her himself," the words that stung at his ears even today. So long as he stayed in the realm of Jotunheim, she was safe.

He was about to look upon Sif when there was a commotion as someone was about to enter the throne room.

A magical aperture was opening, but Thor was unaware as to the origin of where it was coming from. It was not Midgard or Jotunheim so that eliminated those people.

From the opening, a being in a long orchid cloak that appeared almost black walked very calmly through. The hood and veils about the face prevented them for seeing who it was, but they knew this short, frail being that entered their throne room.

Thor dropped to a knee as did Sif beside him as the portal slowly closed.

"Greetings my king," the being's old voice spoke, gesturing with her hand to him.

"Great goddess Vor," Thor greeted her. He stood up and took hold of her great hand. "Our great Seer of all that occurs within our realms, we are honored that you grace us with your presence."

"I am pleased to be here and bring urgent news to you and your family," Vor continued to speak. "Something that will impact the future of Asgard is about to occur."

Now was the first test of his might as king.

* * *

From the golden skies above, a chariot pulled by a train of strong, agile felines gave off a brighter heavenly glow.

The charioteer held the reigns strong and pulled them close to her shoulder as she directed them to pull to the right and downward from her domain of Valhalla toward the golden castle of Asgard.

She was well known throughout the realms as the goddess who ferried warriors into her hall. They were to be honored for their sacrifices to their realms and those they loved. Her hall of Folkvanger was legendary for those warriors who made the ultimate sacrifice.

But Freyja's heart would always be in pain over the greatest sacrifice she had to make. Her tears of gold would always stain her cheeks.

Oh how the loss of her daughter Sigyn to that monster Loki, destroyed her. He took her into his embrace and no doubt tortured her, yet she chose to stay; to honor her marital vows to her husband.

How she prayed to Odin, begged him to find a way to release Sigyn from the trickster. However, till Sigyn begged for him to save her or she was willing renounce her title, he could do nothing.

Now Thor, the current king while Odin was sleeping, had summoned her to Asgard from Valhalla. Apparently, there was something that all needed to hear.

Freyja's chariot came to the main path where the broken BiFrost Bridge leveled to be straight and narrow. It was where she came in to bring her transport that would take her directly into the palace.

The people honored her with their bows and rained her with rose petals.

She would listen to their prayers and requests later. It was this meeting that was on her mind.

Once to the palace, she stepped off and walked into the palace. The long billowing sleeves of her tunic fanned behind as walked at a brisk pace. Her silver and golden breastplate that was overlaying the deep red satins she wore about her glistened brightly. Her Brising necklace rested against her beating heart.

The doors to the palace's grand audience chamber opened at her arrival upon them and Freyja did not have to stop her stride as she approached.

Her heart began to beat faster the closer she drew to Lord Odin's throne. This warning had drawn all members of the Aesir and Vanir to come and hear what was to be said.

Upon getting to the throne, she noticed that everyone hovered around a figure in a long dark cloak that did not show their face and manipulated magic with ease.

Prince Thor, the current Asgardian monarch stood near Lady Sif, one of the greatest warriors and future attendee of her hall when she was to fall in battle.

"Lady Freyja," Lady Sif came to her and dropped to a knee out of respect.

Freyja put a hand upon her head and took her chin so get the warrior to look at her. "Rise Lady Sif," she told her. "We are all warriors and equals. Prince Thor, my king," she called as she approached and repeated Sif's motion before him. "You have summoned for me?"

"I have Lady Freyja," her king said to her, "for we are about to hear from Vor, the all-seeing wise one as she is about to unveil a prophesy that she has foreseen."

"And it may concern you my lady," Vor called to everyone, but it appeared this message was meant for her. "Listen well, one and all," the goddess declared. "One of our family, once fallen and gone...may not be after all."

The mumbles and musings of the Asgardians began to echo throughout the chamber.

Thor began to approach the glowing sphere that Vor was creating. Colors mirrored off the golden walls, casting them all in a heavenly rainbow of light and power. Illusions floated above all that were present taking the shape of beings that lived throughout the realms.

No matter who they were, everyone was in awe.

Freyja followed close by Thor and Sif's sides.

"Is it my brother?" Thor asked.

Why would Thor be thinking of Loki during this moment?

"Thor, pardon my intrigue or my gaffing at your superior station over I," Freyja spoke out, "but Loki is not fallen. He has merely been exiled."

"I was not referring to Loki, Lady Freyja," he replied. "I was thinking of Baldur who awaits his turn deep within the Underworld for when the events of Ragnarok were to begin. It says that he will return upon those days."

"Could it be that we are entering those days?" Sif asked. "The end of the Asgardian gods?"

"I would not trouble your mind with such transgressions Lady Sif," Vor spoke. "We have plenty of time till those days. Now my king and ruler Thor, this is not a male returning. This one is female."

A female goddess being returned to life or returning to their home.

Freyja's heart skipped a beat and she clutched her necklace hard in her grasp.

Could it be? Could the time have come for Sigyn to be returned to Asgard?

"Lady Vor," she spoke out, "could this...could this..." She could not force them out.

She reached around behind to the back area of her armor and undid the object that she always carried with her.

It was a golden circlet tiara that was adorned with a marriage knot that would be placed upon the brow. Something else however donned its pristine surface.

Dried red blood covered the gold in blotches.

Everyone stared at it.

"Could it be that this goddess is my daughter Sigyn?" the leader of the Valkyries spoke to her, passing her the tiara.

Vor took her daughter's possession into her shaky fingers and hands. She held it before her and the magic caused it to glow.

The Seer also cried lightly in shock and pain as she saw something else.

"Yes," Vor spoke. "Yes, this tiara is the key. Your daughter Sigyn is the one who is coming to us. She is coming...and soon."

"What could this mean Lady Vor?" Thor asked. "Where has Lady Sigyn been since that day?"

"I know not where she has been," the seer answered. "Only that she is and is crying to return home to her family. She is lost and is looking for one to bring her home."

Once the display of Vor's power had gone down, the goddess was ready to return to her lair and back to what she did the greatest job at: monitoring and analyzing what was to come.

Freyja held her daughter's circlet in her hands, watching the knot glow in the torchlight.

The Warriors Three had summoned Queen Frigga and promised to lay down their lives to protect Odin so she could meet with them.

Frigga's smile was one of happiness and confusion mixed with sadness and relief.

"Is Vor sure that the being was Sigyn returning?" she asked. "It is not Baldur?"

"Vor has never been wrong before majesty," Sif told her. "She has foresaw that Sigyn is going to be the one to come back."

She held her tiara in hand, again watching it glow and dance.

"Lady Sigyn is somewhere out there in the nine realms," Thor continued to speak to them all. "Why now?" he asked. "If she has not returned before now, why this time?"

"I know not son," Frigga replied. "However, it will make Asgard very happy and we will do everything in our power to acclimate her to the world she may have forgotten. She is no doubt out there; alone and frightened. Unaware of who and what she is capable of becoming."

Sigyn was alive or she would be very soon.

"I must go," she told them. "I am going to begin the search with my brother and go out there and search for her."

"Hold fast," Thor interrupted her planning. "We do not even know what form she is in or where she has been for last few centuries. It has always been known that Sigyn never made it to Valhalla or to Helheim, which is strange considering the blood that was found. However, it could take a few centuries to find her with all the people. We must work together...for the greatest good in all of the nine realms."

Freyja did not want to give up so easily. "Then my king, what am I to do to find my daughter?"

"Work alongside us," Thor asked of her. "Help us to help bring her home."

She had to admit that she did want to find her daughter with all haste. To return Sigyn back to Asgard would be a welcomed ray of light into her life as well as others.

"I will help you Prince Thor," Freyja told him. "However, I would watch with a careful eye for your brother. I maintain what I have said since we found the blood and assumed her to be dead, though he may have been secured to that rock, I still believe Loki to be the cause of my daughter's demise."

Thor nodded once and Freyja slowly walked toward her chariot. She needed to return to Valhalla and speak to her brother Freyjr.

They joy they would share tonight knowing that their daughter / niece would be returned to them would be a cause for a grand feast.

However, she needed to be found first.

* * *

_Oh this is going to complicate things. Loki is looking for Jane, Calindor is looking for the both of them, and now the Asgardians are too. Wow! This pool is filling up to the brim._

_I am working on the artwork, but it is taking me some time to get them just right. In order to picture Freyja the Valkyrie, I would think of her as Christina Cox (Blood Ties) in appearance. Young, yet strong._

_Please remember to review! I love them all!  
_


	9. Chapter 8 Burning Desires

_OK, this chapter is really creepy. I really hope that you are able to picture our radiant princess, but again, I am working on her design and it is taking some time. When you are picturing our lovely princess (put loosely), think of Deveigh Chase when she did The Ring. Equally creepy, yet pretty when she looked normal. _

_The other woman you meet is a beloved Norse character and she looks like Renee O'Connor (Xena-verse).  
_

_Music (all from Green Lantern soundtrack): Part one "Origin of Parallax" , speaking to our alternate villain "Did Adam put you up to this," and fleeing Helheim "Run."_

* * *

**Chapter Eight - Burning Desires  
**

_Hellheim - The Land of the Dead  
_

The magical vortex carried the three Frost Giants of Calindor, Malak, and Partuk to the one realm that no giant wished to come or lay eyes upon let alone before their time. The land of the dead, Helheim at the lowest reaches of the worlds' tree.

However, there was a reason for this visit.

Calindor was seeking a way to dethrone Jotunheim's newest overlord. The elders would pay for disgracing and robbing him of the throne. He had taken the throne by force; killing all those that claimed ownership of the throne. This included sons and relatives that descended directly from Laufey.

One of his kills had been a brother of Loki, Laurlik who was a regular giant, but immature and unskilled. It was good that he destroyed him. Jotunheim did not need to be a realm of chaos.

It needed a firm, strong hand to lead them...and he would wield that hand.

How could they, the elders, select him as the new king? He had been deemed to be too small and weak to even be considered a prince. These cowards thought that a master of magic and now with his connections to the royal Asgardian Aesir, it was better that he be in charge than himself.

This vexed him and now he would seek the means of destroying him.

And who better to make sure that Loki paid that price and stayed away from Jotunheim than the Goddess of the Dead, Hela. Though the guardian of the Underworld was his own daughter, Hela did not hold her father in high accord or esteem.

Calindor would want her on his side, but he was here for someone else.

It was a long walk through the dead forest that was surrounded by skies of red flame and dark clouds. However, the castle to the queen of the dead was near.

Screams of the dying as they were ferried to their place of rest or those that were bound over torturing cried that they were not in the correct realm.

They were begging their queen for sanctuary or a chance to prove their worth.

Echoing from the castle was a child's cackling laughter.

His lieutenants at his side cringed at the laugh. This child was having a grand time in controlling her realm.

"Come forward cowards and earn your honour by following me," he ordered them. "It is not our time to enter this deathly hallow, but we enter it to purge our house of that which is impure."

The three Jotuns approached the bridge that was suspended over the black river, drawing closer to where the castle of Hela pierced the fiery sky.

This realm was incredibly torturous to them, but they endured through this hardship in order to retrieve the one person who wanted Loki dead as much as Calindor did.

As they drew closer to the palace, the lines of spirits began to form as they were lead into the palace of the Helheim's reigning ruler, aptly named Hela.

They were all spooked by the childlike laughter that echoed overhead.

Apparently the child was having a grand time.

* * *

_Hela's Castle_

Another soul made their way into the throne room. The creature was an Asgardian, condemned for killing an innocent. It was clear that he was going to try and clear his name and beg for his life.

"Oh great goddess Hela, Queen of the Dead," the man began the regular dialogue that she heard an incalculable amount of times per day. "I beseech you in all your glory. I have not done these crimes maliciously as the enforcers claim I have been accused of. It was all an accident."

"An accident you say," the shadowy being who sat in the throne before the wraith soldiers, only an ominous set of bright green eyes glowing at them spoke. "What is accidental about locking your neighbor in a box and allow him to die in the raging sun. Not very accidental especially when you go in his place and take money that was rightfully his."

The man tried to bed some more, but it would go on her deaf ears.

From the armrest, the left hand pointed outward toward the man. It was nothing but dying, rotten flesh with bones for fingers.

"Swear your allegiance to me," she demanded, "and I may let you not be a waste of space."

"Oh my queen," the man said, falling to his knees with his arms out before her, "I give my soul to you."

The childlike voice laughed and clapped, her bone hand smacking against a perfectly good pale one. "Perfect," she answered. "You are truly despicable." She laughed some more and the man was fearful. "My minions, let's see if he has the same tune, when he has spent some time in a firebox."

"Fire...box," the man asked.

The deathly dealer stood from her throne. Her legs were the same as her arms with a gown that was split up the middle. The pristine white side sparkled along with her silver jewelry that covered her.

But the black side was radiant as night, but had holes and tears to expose a black jeweled sandal upon her bone foot.

Hela's face was the part that was most horrific. On the lively side, her green jeweled eye sparkled and glowed amongst the dark paints that adorned her while sweeping black hair flowed behind her. The deathly side, dripping flesh that exposed her bones with an eye that did not appear as though it fit in the socket where it lied.

Her good hand reached for the man's face. "A box where you will feel the heat of torture, the same torturous pain your greed put your neighbor through," she told him. "If you can prove to not beg for your life, I may change my mind. Beg, if even one breath for help, and you will remain there."

She waved the wraiths away.

"No my queen!" the man howled.

Hela knew he would not enjoy this fate, and would be in that box for some time.

It amused her to the point where she laughed loudly.

"Bring upon the next," she ordered, taking a seat in the shadows again.

* * *

Calindor, Malak, and Partuk heard the laughter and screams of yet another being who would be meeting their fate.

They moved to walk past the line of souls as this place or its ruler were the reason that they were there.

"Where are we going Calindor?" Partuk asked. "We need to find this being before her majesty finds us?"

Calindor looked about and saw a glowing ball of fire out in the distance; well beyond the vision of the palace.

"There," he directed their course. "That is where we will find one who despises Loki more than I do."

As they walked, Calindor explained the tale.

"Who is this being master?" Malak asked. "What makes you think that this being will assist us?"

"This one has lost everything including her very life," Calindor said. "She suffered the ultimate betrayal when Loki tricked a blind god, Hodr into killing her husband. Because of this, her heart shattered and she threw herself upon this burning vessel and was cast out of Asgard. She now floats out in the vessel that bears Prince Baldur here."

"And yet she lives?" Partuk asked.

"She will live watching her husband's body and this vessel burn for all eternity," he told them.

The approached the edge of the lake where a dock would normally be used to tie off a floating ship.

It was a grand sight. The flaming ball as it burned the wooden ship, but yet did not destroy it.

"My lady, we beseech you," Calindor shouted to the vessel.

* * *

The vessel, the Golden Inférnum had multiple levels to it. Its main level held the body of Asgard's golden prince, the man once known as Baldur. He was encased in a golden shroud that would burn for all eternity or until Ragnarok when he would be called back.

His wife however still lived aboard the vessel.

She heard one call out to her from the shores and proceeded to walk up the stair to the aft and be at its highest point.

Her navy blue gown she gathered in her fingers, silver bracelets adorning her wrists, and barefooted feet did not burn amongst the flames.

The long blond hair that matched the colors of the flames fell in waves behind her.

She looked upon the dock and saw three monsters, large Jotuns, standing there. Were these demons the ones that summoned for her?

"Have you summoned for me?" she called to them. "I despise anyone who dares to interrupt me as I mourn the loss of my love. Especially Frost Giants as you are."

"Lady Nanna," the one in the middle called to her. "I am Calindor, Son of Canpelor of the Jotuns. I have come to ask of your help in dealing with one who you have intimate knowledge of."

"I will not assist demons of your nature, both physically, mentally, spiritually, or magically. I detest your race as it was one of you who put my husband here for us to be tortured for all time."

"It is he that I come to you," the beggar asked. "This impure cur upon my world, I need to destroy him. However, he is of the royal house and I cannot be connected with his destruction. I ask you Lady Nanna. Help me destroy the one known as Loki Laufeyson and free my people and yours of his evil, despicable nature."

Nanna had to admit that she was intrigued by this offer. She knew that Loki had been responsible for Baldur's death. She had also heard that he had been put through a trial that should have killed him eventually.

If he was causing trouble for these giants, then he was not dead.

And this infuriated her.

If Loki was not so jealous of Baldur, Thor, or she, they would be in command of Asgard no doubt. She would be able to witness and experience her children growing up. She would not be contained upon this floating memorial for all time.

"I will take you to where he has gone and you can kill him, relieve your pain, and return to your husband with great tales about how you have avenged his death," the Jotun spoke to her.

How Nanna longed to share that tale with the man she loved. Eliminate Loki, and maybe her heart would heal.

She looked back to them. "I accept your deal."

* * *

The Jotuns gathered their strength and energies to create a floating bridge of ice across the boiling waters. It would not survive long as it rested upon the fluid surface, but as long as Nanna walked without haste, she would be back upon land and they would leave.

She walked across the water and sprung upon the dock.

"Now," Nanna asked. "Where has the beloved cur gone?"

"A small miniscule world called Midgard, home to the humans," Partuk spoke. "He is searching for one there. Someone with vast knowledge."

"Then I suggest we move and obtain this human before he does," she said. "Give him a reason to come to us."

"A plan indeed," Calindor said.

They began to walk through the dying Underworld toward the exit.

However, a large howling scream could be heard.

Wraiths, shadowy soldiers under Lady Hela's command screeched and cried across the bright flaming skies.

"We must flee," she told them. "Before you are all captured."

The four of them ran passed the castle and toward the edge of the river that separated the other realms from Helheim.

Flying wraiths came down and nearly attacked them.

All of them hit the hot soil to avoid its angry claws.

* * *

Hela stood from her throne and raced to the window and balcony to observe the commotion. With her vision, she could see three Frost Giants...and one that she never suspected to leave her post.

Her aunt, Nanna, the grieving one who stayed upon the flaming vessel that contained her Uncle Baldur's body, was with them.

She was attempting to escape with these giants' aid.

"Destroy the Jotuns," she ordered calmly. "Return Nanna to her memorial, but destroy those traitors."

More winged monsters left the towers of her castle, charging into battle.

* * *

Calindor and his men surrounded around Nanna as they were ready to attack and fight off any demon or threat that came to them.

Apparently, Lady Hela was well aware of their abduction of Nanna and was going to prevent them from leaving.

Wraiths charged down and scratched at them with their talons.

Each Jotun had an icy weapon that was used to fight them off. However, due to the heat, they were constantly having to recreate each weapon and use it again; causing precious energy loss.

These monsters wanted blood.

And blood was what they would get, Calindor thought.

He grabbed Lady Nanna by her upper arm and wrenched her to her feet. "We are leaving now," he growled.

"And how do we escape these monsters monster?" she asked at a shouting pitch.

Calindor stabbed Partuk in the base of his spine. He fell to the ground bleeding.

Malak looked at what he had done.

"Calindor," his friend asked. "What have you done? Why do you slay those that are loyal to you?"

"You are my men," he answered. "And my men must ensure that I survive."

With another icy blade, Malak attempted to fight him off, but he was able to sheath his dagger into Malak's gut.

"May both of your sacrifices lead to my ultimate conquest of Jotunheim," Calindor told him before dragging Nanna through the opening and out of the realm.

* * *

Hela watched as Nanna and one Jotun fled from her realm and into parts unknown.

Her wraiths were flying about and finally swooping in to indulge upon the flesh of the giants that got left behind.

It would be a feeding frenzy for some time.

But it would never sit well with her that her aunt had been able to escape. Never in all her years had anyone ever left the Underworld and escaped back into the nine realms.

She would demonstrate her power in a different way.

Hela vowed to herself that she would get her aunt back.

* * *

_Oh boy! This is definitely not good now! Make sure you review for me. Tell me how I am doing. The story is nearly done, but I have to write the next chapter in order to complete it._


	10. Chapter 9 Accidently Involved

****_Hey one and all, here is a longer chapter, but everything needs to be together in order for it to make sense. I hope that you enjoy it._

_For your musical selections, the song that Jane listens to in the car is "Song 2" by Blur, and during the rescue I would listen to "They Called It" and "Assemble" both on The Avengers soundtrack._

* * *

**Chapter Nine - Accidentally involved**

The leaves blew hard in the wind across the Concord village streets. Ducks had a hard time swimming with the current that was pushing them away from where they were desiring to swim.

At the Hastings Estate, it was no different even as the landscapers were trying to use equipment to clean up the grass and winterize it for the upcoming season.

One crew member walked into the large garage and shed for a grass seed spreader as Jane Foster swiveled on the rickety stool. Her cousin Chris was elbow deep under the hood of her van as he tried to figure out why it would not start.

She was agitated when the van would not start.

Jane had been talking to her uncle the other day. Uncle Mike had said that he had been speaking to one of the other congressmen who worked alongside him. Apparently he was connected with the Harvard University and was interested in her research.

He secured her a lunch date in Boston today...if she got there.

"Ah ha," Chris said and yanked out a part with stringy wire in his greasy hands and forearms. "Got it."

"What is wrong?" she asked.

"This is the distributor," he informed her blank stare. "It is part of the car's ignition system. Looks like one of the wires got up against something else in the engine and it frayed the cable and connector down to the metal. You are lucky it did not start a fire in the block. You would need a new engine at that rate. This way, we can just replace this and I can install it."

The beeping of the cordless phone hanging up was heard when his mother, her aunt walked through the door from the house.

"Well, Mr. Pearson is closed today," her aunt told them. "His mother is very sick in Hospice and he went to be with her. He is the only place we can parts and in a hurry. What is broken?"

"Ignition distributor," Chris blurted out.

"I guess I am not going to Boston today," Jane grumbled and popped off the stool. "Damn. I was starting to think that everything was turning around for me."

"Oh do not get so discouraged yet," Aunt Beckah said, her hands coming to rest across on her shoulders. "We have enough cars around here. I think we can loan you a car for the afternoon."

"Oh I do not want to impose."

"Oh come on Jane," Chris said. "When are you ever going to get to drive a Buick Regal or my dad's Infiniti."

"I was thinking more along the lines of your sister's Sentra. It is sporty and small. She does not need to be taking my tank of Regal and your father drove to work today because he was not sure how late he was going to work tonight."

"Are you sure?" Jane asked.

"Absolutely positive." Aunt Beckah looked to her watch. "You should be going and getting ready. Do you have a business suit?"

"Only my one good one," Jane shouted as she went rushing into the mudroom and toward the pool house.

She needed to finish getting ready.

After a quick shower, applying makeup to her face, and braiding her hair, Jane slipped on her black flared trousers over her nylons. They were solid black that barely held a navy pinstripe in visible view.

The ocean blue tanktop came before the matching jacket to her pants.

Her final item was her black heels that she kept clean and dust-free in the box.

Jane grabbed her trusty notebook, shoving it into a leather messenger bag. To take the laptop or to not take it. No, she would not be able to use it at the restaurant so it would be left behind.

She grabbed a couple of charts that would be able to explain what she was hoping to accomplish.

Once she was ready to go, Jane headed into the main house and there was her aunt with the keys.

"You look ravishing," her aunt said. "I actually found something that might give you some good luck."

Rebekah brought a necklace around. It was a simple pearl medallion wrapped gold on a formed silver circle chain. It would rest in one spot and not move.

"This was found in your mother's items when we performed the estate sale," she told her. "I think she wore it on her wedding day. But I think she would want you to wear it as you go and wow another university with your knowledge."

Jane turned and faced her aunt. "What would I do without you?" she said before she hugged her tightly.

"I am just glad that we were able to rescue you," her aunt replied. They parted and she looked her in the eyes. "Now, go break a leg."

She smiled and ran out to the garage.

L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7

The Nissan Sentra coupe that she drove was easily excitable and much different than driving her van. Just putting your big toe on the accelerator and Jane felt like she was speeding.

With the music blaring through the radio, Jane Foster smiled and grooved to the music and pounded her hands on the steering wheel; when the roads were clear of people, curves, and cops.

It was the first time that she smiled and was in an excitable mood in a long while.

However, once she got to the Boston city limits, it was time to act like an adult again.

It took some time with the car navigation system to find the Radius restaurant. It was in the downtown area and would be good for this congressman to meet with her even while they were busy.

Since this was not her car and she did not want to be far from the restaurant, Jane opted for valet parking. It only cost five bucks so it was worth it.

She took in a deep breath and exhaled it through goldfish lips. "Let's do this," she spoke out loud at a whisper and headed inside the establishment.

The table had been reserved for her and her party so that sat her. Apparently Congressman Barker had called saying he was running late. And here she was worried about being late.

The hostess sat her down and she opted for the seat against a wooden partition to keep the bright white clouds from stinging her eyes.

Jane placed all her items next to her in the booth, being neurotic to put everything in order and facing forward so she could wow this congressman.

She was flipping through the notebook and found hers and Thor's drawing of the "world's tree." Her pencil marks were beginning to show on the pages after due to her retracing.

While she waited, another smearing of her pencil went over the previous copies.

It was there, her headed started to pound and she saw something in her mind.

* * *

Two little boys were walking alongside someone wearing a long white gown. The woman's hands held one hand each as they walked.

It felt like she was watching them approach somewhere.

"Mother," one of the boys said as they stopped. "What is this?"

The eyes, crystal tan looked up at the carving that took up the entire wall section.

"This my _alskings_," the mother of the two boys said as she knelt down to wrap her arms around each of their tiny bodies, "this is the tree of Yggdrasil. This is the tree that shows where all the realms of the cosmos lie in relation to one another."

"Where are we mother?" the second boy with longer hair asked.

"Do you see the amber gem, here," the mother pointed. "This would be our realm of Asgard, the golden realm and home to all the gods."

"What about the other momma?" the boy with the shorter hair asked. "What about the other realms?"

The mother began to teach the children about the other realms on the tree.

* * *

Jane started to get a headache from seeing this topographic geography lesson in her head. She knew about the nine realms, not only from Thor, but also from the countless amounts of research that she had done after he had gone.

"Ms. Foster," a voice called out to her and she looked up with a start.

"Yes," she answered and faced the two gentlemen that were approaching the table. "I'm sorry, I was staring off."

"Quite alright dear," the tall African American man with the neatly trimmed black hair with a little graying at the sides said. "Congressman William Barker of District One. This is a good friend of mine, Directior Nicholas Fury of SHIELD."

"We have met," Director Fury answered and shook her hand.

"We have?" she asked.

"Not directly, but you know my right hand man Agent Phil Coulsen," Fury replied.

The name ticked her off royally. He had been the agent that had confiscated her equipment in New Mexico when Thor had arrived. She did not like him...until he returned everything once her guardian had proved himself to be who he was.

"Yes, I remember," she replied. "And how is Agent Coulsen?" There was a slight bite in her voice.

"Very busy." They took their seats around the circular table. "He has actually been involved in a mission that involves your mentor, Dr. Erik Selvig."

"Oh really?" she said with an elated tone. "I have missed him. Could have really used his help with what happened through Culver."

"Yes, your uncle Michael told us about that unfortunate circumstance," Congressman Barker responded.

The waiter came by and took their drink and food orders.

While they waited, Jane regaled the men with her discoveries on potentially being able to open a portal to other worlds. She just required the power source to be able to do so.

Nick Fury told her that her mentor Erik was working on mastering control over an artifact that was discovered during the forties. If he finds a way to harness the power and they exploit its use, then there was the possibility that she could be brought in and help with her assignment.

Over their meal, the congressman told her that he was connected through the alumni association at Harvard Law School. He promised that he would speak to some of his other colleagues and see if they were interested in her research.

Jane was excited. Maybe her money and research backing down times would end soon.

She decided to head to the capital building and go to visit her uncle.

Congressman Barker was kind enough to allow her access to the House and told her to wait for her uncle, whom he was kind enough to go and visit.

Uncle Mike was sitting at his district post talking with another senator when her lunch date walked to retrieve him.

Her uncle's eyes looked in her direction and he waved.

He adjourned himself for a moment and walked with the congressman back to the door where she stood.

"Hey Janie," her uncle greeted her.

Jane had this overwhelming feeling that she needed to hug him in the way that she had all those years growing up. Her arms were tightly wrapped around his waist.

He smoothed a hand down her hair and rocked her lightly.

"I do not know how I can thank you," she said a sniffle as she tried to hold in her tears.

They looked to one another.

"I take it lunch was good," Michael answered.

"I am going to talk with some of my former professors and some of the alumni at Harvard," Barker informed him. "We should be able to get something started to keep your niece going with her research, for the interim. In the long term, she may have a government job that works with Homeland and a very good friend of mine."

"Excellent," he replied, shoving his hands into his pocket.

"Um, did you want me to wait around?" she asked. "I could give you a ride back. I have Rachael's car."

"Actually dear, I may have to work late tonight," he told her. "I will have the service take me home. You be safe. I hear there is some stormy weather coming tonight."

"OK," Jane replied. "Congressman Barker," she said his name and shook his hand. "Uncle Mike."

Instead of shaking her hand, he left a kiss on her cheek.

"I'll see you at home," he told her.

And so Jane walked out of the senatorial hall to return to the parking lot. She wanted to get into that luxury car, blare the radio, and have the time of her life.

Her night could not get any better.

* * *

The roads were slick from the misting rain, but still passable even in the fog that floated above the roads.

Jane drove in her cousin's Nissan Sentra down the winding road. She had turned down the radio and was now listening to the AM news channel. She really was not used to driving in the rain so she would go slow and take her time.

There was a traffic accident on the Cambridge Turnpike where she normally would have taken to get home. She was rerouted to the 95 north and took Marrett Road and would have to go through the Minuteman Park. It would connect her back with the turnpike near Hardys Hill.

Jane was not excited about that, she would manage by driving slow and not being on the phone. The GPS guided her home.

The phone started to ring and she answered it with the bluetooth device that was mounted to her steering wheel.

"Hello," she answered.

"Hey," her cousin Rachael replied. "Mom wants to know if you are on your way yet and if you are, would you mind picking up milk at the store?"

"Sure. Anything else?"

Rachael asked if there was anything else and Jane noticed that there was a car that was coming up on her rear rather fast.

"Nope. That is it. See you at home."

"Be home shortly," she replied.

Jane was really concerned about the driver that appeared to weaving and going fast it approached.

"What the..." she whispered. She wanted to go faster to get away, but she chose to move off to the shoulder to allow the daredevil to drive passed.

However, suddenly a wolf or dog was in front of both of them.

The daredevil swerved to avoid, but wound up whip-lashing back and nailing her in the door.

Jane screamed as she lost all control.

Her car hit the sloped embankment edge and flipped over.

Glass shattered.

Metal crunched and crinkled.

Blood flowed.

And darkness took hold.

L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7

The other car's driver looked out and saw what had happened. He climbed out in a dizzy haze, abandoning his vehicle; instead of checking on the blue car's driver.

The Nissan was sparking and eventually caught fire near the tire.

He ran away into the tunnel, unsure of what to do.

* * *

_Hastings Residence_

The Hastings family was partaking in their nightly tradition of setting the table and getting out everything they were going to need for dinner.

Christopher was working on getting the salad items while Rebekah was working on the stir-fry in the pan. She sprinkled oil on the food to bring about a light flame.

"Rachael," she called, "will you get the condiments out?"

She was hanging up with her friend or boyfriend on her phone and came to do what she was asked to do.

Michael walked inside after the driver dropped him off. He hung up his coat and dropped his briefcase on the foyer table.

"Hello one and all," he said, coming around to kiss her on the cheek. "Smells divine."

"Well, you know how we always like to have a good meal before you go into late sessions starting this weekend," she replied. "I've added a little extra curry to make it spicier."

He reached for a slice of pepper and ate it.

She looked up and wondered where Jane was? She should have made it home before her husband did.

"Where is Jane?" Michael asked. "She left the House I would have to say around 4 this afternoon. She definitely would have beaten me home."

"Will you call the Sentra's Bluetooth and see where Jane is?" she asked. She did not care who called, just as long as someone did.

Michael called on the phone while pacing around the counter.

Rebekah moved and took the stir-fry from the stove to the island. "Anything?" she asked.

"She is not answering," her husband answered. Outside the house, a large bright and deafening rattle of thunder struck at her nerves.

"Rachael, call your cousin's cell-phone," she shouted.

"Mom I am on the phone," Rachael protested.

"Now young lady!" she hollered.

Her daughter did as instructed and waited.

Michael ran to the laptop on the counter and began to rapidly type into the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Jane was in one of our children's cars," he replied. "All of our cars have low-jack systems on them. I can find out where the car is and if it is in motion."

"She is not answering," Rachael informed them. "The storm might be interfering with the signal. I left her message and sent her a text."

Now she was beginning to worry.

* * *

Loki cried out as the pain struck him, an arrow into his black heart, but yet causing a feeling he would not wish upon his worst enemy.

Where had it come from, he wondered as he fell to his knees in the small house where Jane would sleep. He had come here and was hoping to complete not only his assignment, but to finally quell the emotions and racing thoughts on whether she was indeed Sigyn or not.

Then he was hit with excruciating pain. Something was wrong and he needed to find out what had happened.

Jane was not here, but only this pain would come from someone he cared about. There was only one person that he did, and that was his wife; if indeed Jane was her.

Prince Loki focused his vision upon the main house and stared through the window as the children family members were in pain and the aunt of Jane Foster, the embodiment that held onto his wife Sigyn's soul, was having an emotional meltdown.

Lady Hastings was untying her apron and shouting at her husband.

"_I am going with you_," Lady Rebekah told him.

"_Where is the car_?" the youngest child, Christopher asked his parents.

"_The car is disabled on the North Great Road in the Minutemen Park_," the master of the household said. "_The low-jack system says the car is disabled which could mean anything._"

"_Janie could have been in a car accident or something. Or the car may have a flat...wait for me…Michael!_"

Jane was no doubt in danger. With his heart in this sort of agonizing pain, she was lost somewhere and her family had no idea that she was.

He had to find her first.

Loki walked out of the house and stared into the storm clouds above. It would not be easy, but he gathered every ounce of strength to be had and vaulted into the air; floating above the fog and trees. Water landed and beat against his brow, but he would not let it deter him from reaching the location of Jane Foster.

The pain in his chest proved to be an accurate method of locating her. The closer he drew, the more intense it became.

Clouds became smoky plumbs that intermingled. He was getting close as he had to cough away the smoke in order to breathe.

Finally, he saw the flames and two Midgardian vehicles. One was on its roof while the other was left abandoned.

Loki charged down and smashed the ground with his feet.

The flames nearby were flickering, nearly ready to consume the car.

"Sigyn!" he shouted, tossing off his horned helmet, and rushing to the side of the car.

He could see her bleeding hand hanging outside the shattered window.

Kneeling down, Loki could see that blood drained in a river of tears down her face and that she was belted to the seat.

More flames erupted, ready to destroy this transport and Jane along with it.

Still no mortals had arrived in their attempt to rescue her.

"Jane," he begged her name to wake up, but she was too damaged to respond.

It was up to him now.

Loki stood and knew that he needed to buy himself more time to attempt to her rescue. He had to try and cool down the flames.

It sickened him to reach into the depths of his soul, his frost cold Jotun soul, for the remedy.

Channeling his power, frost and cold energy laced away from his fingers, freezing the flames and suppressing their danger at least for a few minutes.

He returned to the car side and tried to figure out the best way of extracting Jane without causing any further injury. Loki tried to pry the door off the side, but it would not be removed.

Sliding passed the crushed door and window, Loki knew that he only had minutes.

Again, using his ice powers, he created a crooked dagger of ice.

Loki reached for the belt that held Jane tight to her chair and began the awkward motion of slicing the fabric.

It snapped free with a few swipes of the sickle.

He reached for the lapbelt that held Jane and knew that he needed to cut this belt with care for when it was released, she was going to plummet to the rooftop.

He swiped slowly with the blade, but suddenly saw that the flames had reignited. This vehicle was going to be nothing very soon.

Loki pursued in haste to finish cutting the belt and Jane fell. However, he was there to cradle her down the ground.

He crawled out of the window and dragged Jane from under her arms.

She was finally free.

The prince hoisted her into his arms and ran away...just as the car exploded into bits of metal and glass.

The force knocked Loki to his knees, but he barely had the chance to use his cape to cover over the both of them.

Once the chaos was over, he looked back. They had barely made it out of there alive.

His attention turned back to Jane. Her skin was covered in dirt, ash, and cuts. Blood covered a good section of her pants and top while her head had a small gash that drained with her precious blood.

It was getting across his hands as he tried to hold her wounds closed.

"Jane," he called her name, hoping she would wake. "Jane?" Then he decided to try, "Sigyn?"

Nothing came from her.

He rested his ear by her chest and noticed that her heart was weak. Without help, she would die soon.

Loki decided to try something for he could not let her die.

He placed a gentle hand over her heart and closed his eyes. "Let my strength be yours," he whispered. "Let me take into me your pain and you be strong."

His body began to ache as bones separated from their sources, cuts began to appear upon his body, and other injuries inflicted pain upon him. He cried out at the agony.

But as he began to become wracked with pain, Jane was returning to normal. As if nothing had happened to her.

It had worked. She was healed and he would heal in time; much faster than she would if he had allowed her to keep her pain.

Loud noises from afar meant that he needed to leave. He did not want to leave her there, but he would not captured.

Loki raced into the sky away, leaving Jane in her state where she was.

* * *

Rebekah and Michael Hastings' vehicle rounded the bend and saw the fiery frame that was their Nissan.

"Oh my god," she whispered and charged from their car, before her husband had even stopped. She dashed toward the exploding wreckage.

But her eyes were drawn to a body that was lying in the middle of the road. The body was lying perfectly still on the pavement.

"Janie!" she cried out and went to her side, Michael joined right behind her.

It was their niece and she appeared to be unhurt.

Rebekah went right into doctor mode, assessing her injuries. Maybe they were all internal.

"Jane, Jane, sweetheart, I need you to answer me," she called and was shaking her.

She was not responding to them, so she looked at taking her pulse to check and make sure she had one. Thankfully, Jane did.

"How did she get out of the car?" Michael wanted to know as he kept looking back to the flaming wreckage.

Both of them were dumbfounded how she could by lying there perfectly still and looked to not have a scratch on her, but yet the car was an inferno and she was covered in blood.

However, the local emergency medical technicians asked them to back away and allow them to work.

All she could do was pray and embrace her husband as they tried to see if she was OK.

* * *

Loki hid in a tall tree and watched as they tried to revive Jane Foster even though she was still weak. His arm was clutched against his ribcage. All of the injuries that he transferred from her body into his were painful to a point where he was barely able to breathe.

For now, he would have to hide away and regain his strength before confronting her yet again.

He sprung into the air and left Jane with her family to be cared for. His energy was definitely weakening and his body wracked with pain that the prince nearly lost consciousness.

Returning to the Hastings' house, Loki's legs gave way upon landing and his whole body crashed over some of the furniture that lined the pool. He groaned in agony, but frustration more.

He waved the door open so not to get blood all over and fell again to the floor. The darkness of the small cottage where Jane lived would grant him the solitude he needed to heal. It was the only place he could think of to go.

Closing his eyes, Loki begged for sleep to take him so he could revive and plan his next move; with a clearer mentality.

* * *

_That was a dark chapter, but honestly, I was crying while I typed two other chapters. Please review and let me know how I am doing._


	11. Chapter 10 Pain within and beyond

_This chapter is dark and...I cannot really describe it. Please review after this one and tell me if I nailed it. _

_Your music on Asgard is "Performance Issues" from The Avengers. On Midgard, it is "Dying Hero" from Iron Man 2._

* * *

**Chapter Ten - Pain within and beyond**

- _Asgard - _**  
**

It was the morning after. Dark red skies covered Asgard.

The ocean ran still, the wind did not ruffle the trees, everything was still, calm, and dead. Asgard's golden castle did not glow under the weight of sadness that cloaked it in dark cloud.

The people moved in dark cloaks and colors toward the sea. In their hands, many waved cypress palms or held black roses against their hearts.

The procession led the way for the body, the body of the fallen prince Baldur, son of Odin. The boy slain for no apparent reason by Loki, also a son of Odin and brother prince.

No one could fathom why Loki would have his own brother killed.

Baldur's body was taken to the sea and placed aboard a small sailing vessel; his beautiful wife Nanna awaiting his arrival. She had chosen that she would die with him in the same way he was to be mourned.

The Asgardian people wept for their prince as he was cast out to sea, aflame and glowing bright, but it would not replace the darkness cast upon their realm.

The boat sailed away toward the edge where it would be welcomed by Hela, the goddess of the underworld where they would remain until Ragnarok; as foretold in the visions and prophesies.

But there was still the traitor to deal with.

* * *

Loki was secured in the dungeons of his own castle, awaiting the arrival of those that would inflict their wrath and justice upon him.

He was alone as tears streaked from his eyes and uncertainty chilled him to his bones.

The keys and footsteps drew closer and he lifted his head, long strands of his black hair covered over his pale, tired eyes.

The being that stood before him was not whom he expected it to be.

He expected his father's strongest warriors, perhaps Fandral or Volstagg there to take him before his father.

Loki did not expect Odin himself.

He was breathless.

"Remove him," his father ordered.

The guards came forth, unlocked him from the chains that secured him to the wall, and dragged him to his feet.

"Father," he begged. "You must know, I did it to save our kingdom."

Odin was silent and did not look upon him.

"Bring him," he ordered.

Loki screamed for his father, begged him to look upon him.

He was taken up the stairs to and thrown into an awaiting horse-drawn carriage with a prison box that was magically sealed in order to prevent him from escaping.

* * *

From a balcony high above, Lady Sigyn stood as she watched the caravan of horse-mounted guardians, Lord Odin Allfather, Prince Thor Odinson, and others marched through the village streets.

It would be a long ride through the valley toward the mountain...and her husband's fate. His echoing screams she could hear even as the carriage drew farther away.

She toyed with her wedding ring that even though removed from her finger, it felt burned into her very flesh.

Her eyes inflamed and stained with streaks of redness across her flesh.

Sigyn did not know how her heart remained intact. Her brother-in-law was dead, her beautiful son Narvi had been slaughtered (whose blood covered bandages still covered their bed), her eldest Vali was a wolf who had killed her other son was now a fugitive in the dark forest, and now her husband was being taken to serve his punishment.

The doors to her chamber opened and she softly turned to face the people who had come into the room.

They were two of Crimson Hawks, come to take her away to be punished.

"Dress yourself my lady," Tilde told her. "You are requested to the mountain."

"I do not wish to go," she told them.

"You are mistaken my lady," Arko informed her. "This is not a request, but a demand of Lord Odin."

If she was requested by her father-in-law, the Allfather, she best obey him.

Slipping on a pale blue gown and adorned in her best jewels including her golden circlet crown, Sigyn slowly awaited her punishment.

If Odin had Vali turned into wolf in order to slay Narvi, what fate could await her for being married to Loki?

"I am ready," she told them.

The warriors became their hawk forms before her, cawing in communication with one another.

She placed her arms out at her sides.

Both sets of clawed talons wrapped themselves around her arms and lifted her from the palace.

Sigyn wept as she knew deep within her heart that she would never see Asgard, her mother, or any other members of her family again.

* * *

The three rocks were placed upon the ground by Volstagg and Thor where they had been instructed to place them.

Lord Odin looked to the sky and saw that two more hawks were inbound with the final item that they required.

"Bring him," Odin ordered.

Loki was removed from his prison box and dragged, even as he fought to no avail by the hawks that held him.

His dark son was thrown down upon the rocks and he was held down; even as he struggled.

Loki begged for him to listen and to release him. He was begging for his life, apologizing that what he had done was because of his dark gifts.

But he would not hear it.

"Please father, you have already taken my sons from me," his son begged. "What more can you earn from this?"

"And what of my son?" he shouted. "You took him maliciously out of jealousy, wickedness, and anger..."

"And you took my sons out of revenge, heartache, and depravity!" Loki shouted, tears filling his eyes. "Narvi's blood will forever stain your hands as Baldur's will mine!"

Odin cried "Nay" with his finger pointed at him. "You will never know the pain you have inflicted upon your family," he told him. "But you will soon enough. Restrain him."

His son tried to struggle for freedom, but there were special ties brought in a golden bowl for him. The glowing blood had been blessed by all the members of the Aesir as he reached in and pulled out the entrails of his grandson.

"Do you see these Loki?" Odin asked him, revealing them in his hands. "These lifelines, the blood that flows from them, they will be your only comfort now. Like you say, your son's blood will stain my hands now...and forever."

He passed them off to the guardians who tied Loki to the rocks at his wrists, ankles, and waist. There would be no escaping this unholy altar.

"Skadi," the Allfather called for his fellow goddess.

They heard the hissing cry of the being that she brought forth. It was a large serpent, scaled in dark silver scalings with large yellow burrowing eyes.

Loki struggled to free himself, but found that he was looking toward where Skadi put the large creature; wrapping it thoroughly in the tree above his confinement.

"Loki, son of Odin," Odin began the charging of his son, "for your crimes of murder against your own household, your scheming cruelty against the Aesir, and the nature of your darkness that exists within your soul, I subject you to this trial; a venom trial."

The hawks arrived and dropped Lady Sigyn behind the crowd of people. She fell down to her knees, dirtying her gown with the dirt where she landed.

Her beauty had been tarnished by the tears that she had shed for her sons and the cruelty that Loki had shown to her.

However the Aesir made it quite clear that not just Loki should be punished for this crime. Sigyn had to meet some sort of justice as well.

This would not be as cruel to her, but it would be torturous enough.

"You will remain here until the end of time, secured to this rock as venom of this serpent will drip upon you," he finished his vocation to him. "At which time, your wife, Lady Sigyn will spare you with a bowl that she will hold above your head. Once the bowl is full, she will empty it at such time you will feel absolute pain and be reminded of that which you have inflicted upon us."

The golden bowl was thrusted into her hands and she was hurled forward by other members of the Aesir to stand at his side.

Sigyn looked to be in disbelief at what she was doing.

"No," Loki begged as he looked to Sigyn and then them all. "Do not punish her! She hath been through enough because of me! Do not punish her further, I beg you."

"This is the command of Odin Allfather," Odin concluded speaking and looked to the serpent. "Commence with your duty."

The serpent hissed and opened its mouth.

Loki looked up as a creamy drop was about to be released upon him. He begged, struggled for freedom that would not come, and awaited the pain that would strike him.

But that pain would not come.

His boy had closed his eyes and turned his head away.

However, Sigyn had put the bowl above his face and caught the drop.

She was being the obedient wife and fulfilling her duty; both to her husband and to her king.

"May you both be comforted in your next life when we shall meet once more," Odin said. "All here depart!"

The people left as Sigyn and Loki watched them once be a spectacle for all those around them and were soon left alone.

His surviving son Thor came to his side. "Father, what lesson is Loki to learn from this? This pain and suffering he is to feel? What will this venom do to him?"

"When the bowl is filled, Loki will feel the venom burn and cause him great pain," he answered. "The same pain that we are subjected to feel for eternity."

"But Sigyn? Why her? She came to the palace begging for sanctuary from Loki," Thor questioned him. "She wanted freedom from Loki, and yet you place her fate thoroughly within his own punishment. She is no less chained to that rock as Loki is."

"This is a trial for her as well. The Aesir want to see if she is loyal to her family or to the man that she is wed to. They could not allow her to go unpunished."

"She is married to him under falsehood, fear, and subjugation. To have her have to hold the bowl above Loki's head will never heal her heart. She will die there or at Loki's hands if he were to escape."

"Then her destiny is in her hands," he told his son and continued to walk away.

It was true. He did not want Sigyn to be punished in this way, but the Aesir had made it very clear that because she left Loki in seeking sanctuary from him, she was the cause to all the pain inflicted upon their family.

If she wanted her freedom, she would abandon Loki and be welcomed back into the palace with open arms. However, she obeyed her vows, they would never see her again.

* * *

The bowl was nearly filled to where it was going to need emptying very soon.

Sigyn looked upon the liquid that gathered and then down upon her husband.

His eyes glazed over and filled with fear. This would be his first exposure to the venom and his body struggled to move to get away so that he would not feel it.

"I must go," she told him.

"Flee from me," he begged her. "Please go and be free."

She locked her eyes with him. "My vows are to be with you for all eternity," she told him. "As long as I breathe, I will be here...for you."

Loki seemed to be in dismay.

That was it; she had to get rid of the bowl by dumping the venom into a small creek nearby. The water would run the venom away from them and out of sight.

She kissed his forehead briefly. "Be brave my prince," Sigyn told him. "I shall return."

And she flew away, carrying the bowl from his face and he looked up at the serpent.

Sigyn ran to the creek, knelt down, and poured the venom out. Her hands got some of it on her and she was forced to rinse them clean.

The serpent's toxin burned at her palms, but she cleaned them to keep away the pain.

Loki's screams filled the air to where she could feel his pain in her body. Her eyes shut tightly and her lips thoroughly pressed together. Tears left her eyes and she quickly returned to her post.

And so would be her life from now till the end.

* * *

_**- Midgard- Present Day**_

Jane lied perfectly still minus the fact that she was dreaming. Her head lightly tossed and turned against her pillow.

The visions were heartbreaking. She felt this woman's suffering as she held the bowl in her hands; the burns from the venom she could feel as her hands contorted at the pain.

_Wake up_, she thought. All she wanted to do was wake up.

L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7

The patient's heart rhythm shot through the roof, alerting the nurses and doctors to come to her bedside.

"What's happening?" Dr. Rebekah Hastings entered the room at the same time.

"We don't know," the trauma doctor said. "Pulse is skyrocketing, EKG sporadic," the doctor reported as he looked to the machines. "She's frantic. I think she is dreaming."

"Just like before," the aunt whispered. "She was in a car wreck that killed her parents over ten years ago. The first two weeks we had her at home, she had terrible night terrors and nightmares."

"Potential relapse?" another doctor surmised. "Retrograde repression?"

"Unlikely," the first doctor said. "Ms. Foster," they called her name. "Ms. Foster, please wake up."

"Janie," her aunt called her by her first name.

L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7

Jane continued to see her visions and they were excruciating.

The visions were strong as she watched a wolf lunge and attack a small boy; killing him.

Then she saw the man with the horns in a different event, spin about, and strike her with the metal bracer that covered his hand.

"_You belong to me_," he hissed at her before reaching to bring her back up.

She ran through the halls of a golden castle and found safety in the arms of a real hero.

"_No matter what my lady_," Thor's warm and gentle voice filled her conscious, "_I will always protect you from the darkness_."

Finally, there was light.

L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7

"Thor," Jane shouted as she sat up sharply into the strange arms of people surrounding her. The beeping sounds the screams of people, and the sudden realization that she was not where she initially was frightened her.

"Jane," several people said her name.

"Where is he?" she asked at an elevated tone.

"Where is whom?" a man in scrubs asked her.

"Thor. He was here."

"Jane, sweetheart, you were dreaming," the pleasant voice of her aunt said.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"Harvard Medical Center," the doctor told her. "You were in a car accident."

Suddenly, it did become clear. She remembered talking to her family and then a car swerving to avoid a dog...

No, she swore it was a wolf that stood in the road. The other driver swerved to avoid it; hitting her car and sending her tumbling.

Jane settled back on her pillow. "I am not going to be driving anymore," she joked with them.

Her aunt chuckled at the joke.

"How are you feeling Jane?" the doctor asked, scanning her eyes with a light.

"Just nightmares," she replied.

"Any vertigo, motion sickness, whiplash, pain, blurriness..."

"Fit as a fiddle," she answered. "Why?"

"Well Ms. Foster," the doctor started to explain, "for what ended up happening to the car, you should be paralyzed, covered in bruises and lacerations, broken bones, etcetera, etcetera, so on and so forth. When they announced that they were bringing in an ejected car crash victim and saw you, we believed it to be a joke."

"Joke, doctor?" her aunt asked.

"Either that or she was a test during an emergency situation and response time for the way she looked upon entry," he continued to explain. "The paramedics also state that she was ejected from the car?"

"Yes, she was found lying next to it," Aunt Beckah told him. "It had burst in flames by the time the ambulance arrived."

"If I may be frank Ms. Foster, with the report that came in, you should be dead. Someone obviously came along and pulled you out of the car before it exploded. You definitely have someone looking out for you."

Jane knew that she had been rescued, but why wouldn't Thor have stayed with her?

Unless it was not him.

"A mighty angel she had at her side tonight," her aunt stated, combing a hand down her hair. "So is she cleared to go?"

"I don't see why not, but I do want to get a CT scan of her head before she goes. Just to ensure there is not brain damage. May want to hold you overnight until the results come in."

"After two near fatal car accidents in my life, I do not see how I cannot have any."

"I'll get that ordered and we'll get you to your room for the night," the doctor said and headed out.

Aunt Beckah closed the door.

"Why wouldn't he have stayed?" she said out loud.

"Who?"

"Thor," Jane filled in the blank. "He cares for me and promised that he would return. Why would he rescue me and then leave me?"

"Maybe it was not him," her aunt stated. "Maybe you have another guardian angel out there."

Could be, she thought.

After waiting in the emergency room for over three hours, the radiology department nurse finally came and retrieved her for her CT scan.

Once she was sent through the machine, Jane was taken to her room for the night; not that there was much left.

She curled up on her side, resting her head on her forearms. It still bothered her that Thor or someone else had rescued her from the car and quite possibly saved her life.

But these visions were bothering her. Where were they coming from? Why was she seeing them?

Before falling asleep, she suddenly knew where she might find a clue.

* * *

_That beginning of the chapter was hard, but I hope that I hit that part of the history to where you liked it. It was dark I know, but it has to be explored. _

_Please review!_


	12. Chapter 11 Arrangement

_This chapter is short, but it did need to be alone. I would listen to "Laufey" from Thor soundtrack to add the creepiness factor._

* * *

**Chapter Eleven - Arrangement**

_Jotunheim_

This was a barbaric realm to say the least. Frost and cold darkness filled the air and surface, but yet these demons were invulnerable to their effects.

She was not so lucky.

That is why Calindor's minions had put her in Loki's private sanctuary. It had been heated with fire-bowls and torches that would warm her until they retrieved items that they required.

Quite frankly, she would rather be out in the cold.

The day in which Loki bewitched Hodr into killing her beloved still burned into her soul.

Nanna prayed that the venom trial would have killed Loki and tortured his wife Sigyn for all the darkness they had cast upon Asgard. Their sons were dead and gone, Loki was all but dishonored and Sigyn, well her demise was even sweeter than torturing him.

But her travels in her mind went silent when the Frost Giant returned to the chamber.

"We are ready for you Lady Nanna," Calindor declared.

As they wandered through the icy passages, passing numerous Jotuns and monuments to past kings, Nanna watched as he was stared at one with disdain.

"You will be paid quite the handsome fee if you succeed in your mission," her liaison offered her, "and you will be immediately returned to your prince upon seeing proof of my enemy's death."

"I require no such reward," Nanna assured him as they entered a chamber. It was a magical room lined with mirrors and other forms of magic. "And I promise you, good future King Calindor, son of Calenpor, I will deliver Loki Laufeyson's head to you for you to mount. No one will deny your authority ever again."

"Calindor," a magic user spoke to him, "we have something that you must see. Our prince has been quite preoccupied."

"With what?" her handler asked. "Tell me that he has not located the mortal that he was looking for."

"I do not know if this is she," the magician asked, "but something interesting has transpired on Midgard."

"Such as?" she inquired.

"He saved her from certain death."

Nanna and Calindor were interested in this event. They both approached a magical globe in the center of the room. It was similar to a looking glass, but could project the images above it for all to see.

They watched as the dark prince used his Jotun powers to freeze a fire that was burning on some sort of Midgardian object. He also cut a woman free from restraints and removed her just as the object destroyed itself along with them.

Loki and the woman crashed upon the ground.

He struggled to wake her, calling her by the Midgardian name of Jane.

But her soul ran cold when she finally got to look at the woman and when Loki called her by her other loathed enemy's name.

"_Sigyn_," they all heard him say his wife's name.

"Sigyn," she whispered.

From the side of her belt, she removed a crooked crystal dagger that was carried with her every place she went aboard the ship.

The screams of the Sigyn were music to her ears as she watched the crystal glow.

This Midgardian woman was Sigyn's dopplegänger. Her hair, her face, it was all the same.

Loki fled from the woman, but her eyes did not leave the mortal's body.

It could not be.

How did Sigyn bring herself to Midgard? She was dead.

"Calindor," she spoke to him, looking at the woman, "give me a weapon for which I might use to smite the enemy of my enemy. Do this for me and consider our arrangement complete...once you do something for me in exchange."

His fangs could be seen within the smile. "Name your price," he offered.

"I will deliver Laufeyson's head to you," she told him, "and you silence the bane of my existence. This woman here. I care not what you do to her. Make it so she does not breathe a word again."

While she awaited the magicians to conjure a portal to take her to Midgard, she contemplated all the ways she was going to kill Loki, but more importantly, she desired to know how Sigyn was reborn and how to make sure that it did not happen again?

* * *

_Uh oh! Our couple has a serious problem. Review to find out! _


	13. Chapter 12 Seeking the truth

_We return to Midgard and Jane is about to find out something very important as is her prince. _

_When she is returning from hospital, "Hammer Found" from Thor, and finally "Forgive me" when Jane returns to the pool house._

_For continuing to review every chapter so far, these next two chapters are devoted to Megumisakura who continues to inspire me to write.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve - Seeking the truth**

It was early afternoon when Jane was released from the hospital. Her cousin Rachael had no afternoon classes on Fridays so she was tasked with coming to pick her up. Her uncle was in session at the Capital Building and her aunt got called in to help deliver a baby.

They left Harvard Medical Center and drove along the Concord Turnpike, but Jane asked if they could go the way that she had gone. She wanted to stop and look around at the accident scene.

Something was just not sitting right.

"Right here," she told her cousin to stop the car.

"I think I would remember where you trashed my car," Rachael sneered. "Why do you want to come here anyway on the way home from the hospital?"

"I just do," she answered. "I want to see about something."

The car came to a stop and Jane climbed out to begin looking around.

Jane walked along where the skid-marks from the cars snaked along the concrete. Shattered bits of glass and burnt ash chunks of metal still covered the ground.

She found where the car came to a stop. About another ten feet and her car would have crashed through a metal guardrail, gone over the embankment, and down into a deep culvert.

It would have been a horrible accident, one that she imagined in her mind and cringed.

Not even Thor would have been able to save her from that.

"Can we go home yet?" her cousin called from the car, breaking her frightening vision.

She was about to turn back, when something shiny caught her attention.

Was it something that came from the car or something more?

Jane slid down the wet muck, using a tree limb for support.

"Jane, what are you doing?" Rachael called. She came to the railing and no doubt watched her go down. "I am not going down there to get you."

She grabbed hold of the large golden dome that was heavy at first, but she got her hands around an elongated horn. Then she noticed that there were two of them.

It was a helmet of golden horns.

Just like the one that was in her vision. This was a helmet worn by the cruel man in her visions. The one that struck the woman with the back of his hand.

"What did you find?"

"I found something," she replied. "I just do not know what yet. Get me a blanket."

Rachael brought back a blanket from the trunk and tossed it down. Once she had it wrapped into a hobo sack, her cousin helped her back to the roadside. They walked back to the car, Jane putting the muddy helmet in back, and continued home toward Concord.

L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7

Dinner had been fabulous, a far universal cry than the hospital food that she had to eat. Aunt Beckah made chicken tetrazzini pasta and veggies that rivaled anything she had eaten before.

She scarfed down at least two helpings of the wonderful food.

"I do not know if it was the hospital food Aunt Beckah," Jane said slugging down her water, "but this is fabulous."

"Thank you dear," her aunt said. "Eat as much as you like."

Her family was surprised at her appetite, but mainly was concerned that she was alright.

The conversation had been dull and quiet, when suddenly a topic came about.

"So Jane stopped at the accident scene and brought home a piece of junk," Rachael blurted out.

"Oh really," her Uncle Mike said. "What is it?"

"It looks to be an old helmet of some sort," she answered. "It looks old, but I found it covered in mud from the rainstorm. I was going to look it up later tonight."

"Getting right back into your life, I see?" Chris stated. "Not too concerned that you were in a car wreck last night."

Jane tried to remain quiet because she did not want to think about it. Her memory was still a little sketchy, but the visions were what filled her head more.

After stopping off in Rachael's rental car, Jane walked through the kitchen with the towel that held the helmet and out to her pool house lodgings.

She placed the helmet on the kitchen bar as she went to start a fire. Her body was a little cold and she needed a warm-up.

Why was she so cold, she wondered?

Once her hands were no longer numb, she went to retrieve her laptop. Thankfully, she had decided to leave it yesterday. If not, she would not have access to it and all her research would have been gone.

It took but the work of a few seconds to get connected to the internet.

"Golden, helmet with horns," she spoke as she typed in the words to a search box.

Jane waited and it came up with numerous listings about Norse mythology and Vikings who wore horned helmets.

She turned the words around.

Finally after noticing a pattern, she typed in Norse horned god and checked images to see if she found anything.

Then she gasped.

She found the helmet and the wearer.

Jane raced to her bedside table and found the mythology book that she often read before going to sleep. She frantically flipped through the pages and found the helmet and the wearer yet again.

The book fell to the floor at her shock and dismay.

Two sources could not be wrong.

"Loki," she whispered his name.

She researched everything that she could. Many of the things from her previous run-in with Thor were reviews to her memory. He was a trickster and shape-shifter...Thor's brother. Often, his magic and antics would get him in trouble with his step-father Odin.

Her focus would not allow her to stop searching well into the night and near morning.

There were sources about how he was married and the demonic children and magical animals that he gave birth to. This sent shivers down her spine.

He had to have been the one that saved her. His helmet was at the scene of the crash. Thor would never have left her...but Loki, he would have.

Why would a man, no a god, so evil save her life?

What was his goal for saving her?

Jane read on about something called the venom trial. It was a time when he was accused and persecuted for the death of his and Thor's brother Baldur. Because of it, he was subjected to an event called the venom trial. Loki had been chained to a rock while a serpent dripped venom into his mouth.

She could picture it in her mind. Loki screaming while chained to a rock.

It made her want to vomit, but she kept it down. She stood from the table and was going to go expel the nastiness from her throat when she got very dizzy.

Her head suddenly began to pound. She was tumbling and felt light-headed. "Oh no," she said. "Not again..." before she fainted.

* * *

Loki upon his back, hidden within the clock-tower of a church near the center of the village where he was hiding, groaned in desperate agony. The pain that raced through him from his injuries did not compare to the trauma that arose within his head.

He had moved when he realized that Jane was returning home. He did not want to share the lodgings with her until they were on the same page with their identities.

The world of Midgard became unclear and found that if he did not give into the pain, it would never end.

Closing his eyes, he allowed his mind to be free.

* * *

_Continue on to the next chapter because I cannot leave you hanging from here. Also take a moment to go get your tissues. You are going to need them!_


	14. Chapter 13 Death and Sufferings

_Did you take my advice and get your tissues? If not, get them now!_

_We have gone back to Asgard in the past to relive one of the final moments in our treasured couple's life. I am getting teary just thinking of it.  
_

_Your music for this chapter is "Father and Son" from Tron: Legacy  
_

_Again, __Megumisakura_ this chapter is for you!  


* * *

**Chapter Thirteen- Death and sufferings**

The Asgardian home of the gods was calm and peaceful as it usually was during the time when the sun was high.

However, today was not a regular day.

There was a person in a long emerald cloak with a hood over the face. The back of the cloak billowed behind as they ran with every ounce of power that flowed through them.

People in the palace watched as the figure traversed the stairs and golden halls, running in the direction of the royal audience chamber.

From what they could hear, the person was crying.

The running figure was suddenly stopped when they collided with another well known figure of the palace.

"It is OK," Thor Odinson said as he struggled with the person who was trying to get free. "It is OK...what is wrong?"

Then he looked under the hood and veils that surrounded her face.

It was his sister-in-law Sigyn, but she was in tears.

Thor assumed it had to do with the bruise from being struck over her right eye. It was dark and painful as blood was beginning to pool in the bright whiteness of her eyes. Her radiant brown sphere could not be seen due to her lid having to be closed.

"Sigyn, what has happened?" he demanded to know.

"I..." she tried to say, but could not get the words out due to her emotional instability.

"Sigyn!" a loud, growling voice could be heard.

Thor knew this to be his brother, Loki and he apparently was angry.

He pulled Sigyn by her wrist, seeing that it also had incurred his brother's wrath by the powerful gripped bruise that was in the stages of healing.

Leading her toward the throne room, the concerned brother lead her into the throne room where his mother, father, and a couple of elders were meeting.

"Thor, what are you doing here?" his father demanded.

"See what he has done," Thor shouted pulling the hood away from her face and head.

Sigyn tried to shield her face from his father, but the bruise on her wrist was no doubt seen.

His mother Frigga came running to her side and examined her injuries.

"Oh my darling niece and daughter," his mother spoke, "why has Loki done this to you? Is he the one who did this to you?"

"He was angry," Sigyn tried to tell her. "I disobeyed him and he struck me. He didn't mean it, I know he didn't. I just cannot let my sons see me this way."

The doors to the throne room were shoved open and there appeared Loki, in a fit of rage, but slowly began to calm down when he saw them all.

Thor stood up, taking Mjolnir from his belt and holding it in defense and offense of his family.

The God of Mischief walked very calmly and slowly toward him, but did stop when they stood barely inches from one another.

Loki put out his hand off to the side and spoke. "Sigyn, it's time to go home," he ordered of her.

"She is not going anywhere," Thor told him. "She will be staying here with us."

"She is not your wife," Loki spoke in a angry tone. "I will admit that I got a little upset."

"Upset," Odin challenged him. "You call this upset." Their father was angry with him. He took Sigyn and displayed her face and her wrist for him to see. "As your wife, she does not deserve to be treated like an animal."

Sigyn begged silently to be released. She did not want anyone to see her like this.

"She was spying and being deceitful," her husband informed them. "I was angry, but now I see the error of my ways. I just want you to come home and take care of the boys."

Loki attempted to step around Thor, but the God of Thunder blocked him at every motion.

"No matter what she was doing, you are not guilt-free of your transgressions either," Frigga said. "We know what you have been doing during your marriage. You have not shown her unconditional love and affection. You merely possess her. No longer will you do so. Until you learn what it means to treat her as a wife, Sigyn will maintain sanctuary here with us."

"You cannot do this!" he shouted.

"I can," Odin shouted back, "and I shall. Now go to your home and prepare your boys. They too will be coming to stay with us."

The anger on his face was unmistakable.

Loki turned around sharply, a slight growl as he did so and he marched out of the throne room and out of their sight.

Frigga turned back to Sigyn. "Come darling, let us go visit with Eir and have her address your wounds," her mother-in-law spoke to her.

Sigyn nodded and and walked away with Frigga.

However, Thor was still uneasy. He went to her side and brought Sigyn against him. "No matter what my lady, I will always protect you from the darkness."

* * *

Loki walked through the archway that lead into his home.

Narvi and Vali were sitting on the floor of the atrium, using paints to create if not a mess, but their definitions of artwork.

"Papa," the youngest twin Narvi called to him, "come and play with us?"

He walked passed them and into his private sanctuary of magic, slamming the doors behind him. His looking glass and numerous charms, potions, and books were contained in this room. Sigyn or the boys were not allowed to enter this chamber.

However, it was where he had found her earlier, looking through his private annuals. Loki had flown into a rage and did strike her across the face. His right bracer was still stained with traces of her blood.

Why would she betray him? She knew to never access this room, yet she defied him.

The anger still did not leave him.

The book in his hand flew across the room and struck the looking glass, causing it to shatter into pieces. It would never be used again.

It was all because of his family. If Sigyn had not made it into the palace or Thor, his mother, or his father had found her, none of his agony would be happening.

So if he would suffer, so would they.

And he knew just the way to do it.

* * *

Deep in the gardens of Asgard, a woman and a golden man were playing near a maze that was constructed of high hedges that were laden with rainbow flowers.

The man chased a small boy around while the woman in the soft pink gown and golden blond hair sat reading in the gorgeous sun.

Her husband, Prince Baldur Odinson watched the boy go into the maze, but he chose to sneak around to where his son Forseti would be set to emerge.

When the boy appeared, Baldur was there to gather him in a tight embrace.

Their son squirmed his arms, squealing with joy.

* * *

Up in one of the high turrets of the castle, an arrow was poised and placed into a bow made of golden oak.

This was no ordinary arrow. The tip was white and green attached to an oak shaft with white feathers.

The archer was poised and ready, pulling back on the bowstring, and ready to aim.

According to his master, there was an infidel in the palace, meaning to cause the royal family great harm. He was tasked with saving them.

"_There he is_," his master's voice spoke into his ear. "_Save them. Save the royal family_."

"Yes, my master," the archer, his eyes white due to the blindness that inflicted him. "I will preserve the family."

His master guided his bow and then ordered when to release it.

The arrow cut the stillness of the air and collided with the invader.

* * *

The woman watched as Baldur's body arched backwards, screaming in pain as he dropped their son to the ground.

Nanna dropped her book as she stood and went to his side. Her husband was supposed to be invulnerable to all the elements of man. Now she was watching in disbelief as he fell to his knees. Blood covered his tunic and hands.

She raced to him, her heart stopping and skipping. The main thought that went through her mind was how. How could her husband fall? Who would want to harm her husband, a prince of Asgard?

Her husband looked upon him with his pristine eyes that filled with fear. His blood was staining her gown.

"Baldur," she said his name. "My love, my darling, please do not leave me."

"Nanna," he said her name. His hand came to graze her cheek, but with the blood that covered it, he did not stain her face.

His hand dropped and hit the grass.

Forseti who was kneeling at his father's feet gasped and wept uncontrollably.

And her tears were not far behind.

* * *

_Evening_

Guards ran through the palace searching, baying for the blood of the one who killed Prince Baldur. The castle had been locked down immediately following his murder. No one was able to enter or leave.

A small painting on the wall slid slightly off to the side, revealing a secret passage.

From underneath his dark green cloak, Loki pulled his hood over his head.

The danger of his discovery was very real. If he was discovered in the palace and connected with his magical takeover of the mind of the blind god Hodr, his life would no longer be in his hands.

Being that he too was a prince, he had intimate knowledge of all the access tunnels and secret passages. Once he got into the tunnels, he would escape to Vanaheim. There some of the magical beings would help him to escape to safety.

Right now, he was probably the most wanted being in all the nine realms.

Loki moved in the darkness into the gardens. The access passage to the underground tunnel system was buried behind a bush of lemon blossom buds.

He moved with the darkness along the hedges toward his freedom.

However, Loki paused his progression when he looked up into the balconies and saw pain from the person standing there.

Sigyn stood upon a third level balcony, her arms were crossed over her chest while she stared into the dark stars above. Red lines from tears stained her cheeks, but her eye had been healed while her wrist still had a bandage on it.

This would be the last sight that he would see of her. Was she thinking about him or was she grieving his brother?

He put a hand to his temple and reached out to her.

Loki never told her about the mind-link connection that had cast upon her? Since they were children, he always knew what Sigyn was thinking, what she was doing, where she was going...but would not reveal his secret.

Their minds were connected and would always be connected.

"_Oh my prince_," he heard Sigyn's thoughts as though they came from her lips. "_What have you done? What have you become?_"

His heart broke hearing her speak of him. Even after everything that he had done to her in the years they had been married, she still cared that he was loose.

Perhaps when he was free, he would return to reclaim her and his sons. They would no doubt be imprisoned for being connected with him, but on his life, he would save them.

Loki continued toward the garden wall and found the lemon blossom bush.

He turned back to Sigyn, her auburn hair lightly blowing in the breeze.

"Till next we meet," he whispered and vanished into the tunnels.

* * *

Sigyn stood looking out at the cosmos as she mourned the loss of her brother-in-law Baldur. Though through her marriage to Loki, she never got to speak with many of the Odinson family. She was subjected to isolation and subjugation by her husband.

Her two sons Narvi and Vali were the only joy that she got out of the marriage.

She had tried to go to Nanna to help her mourn, but the widow had sealed herself in their quarters; refusing to see anyone.

Tonight, she would sleep and pray to the gods that Loki did escape.

For if he was caught, the Allfather's wrath would be relentless.

* * *

_Asgardian Throne Room_

Odin Allfather stood in his throne room adorned in blackest cape and silver horned royal crown upon his head. His spear was gripped tightly at his side.

Though his heart broke and he mourned the death of his youngest Baldur, he still had the realms of the cosmos to rule.

His wife was preparing the funeral arrangements while Thor lead the search for his brother.

Hodr, the blind one confessed that he had been under the influence of dark magic. He confessed that he had been told that Baldur was a traitor and was out to kill them all.

With a little help from magic, they were able to see that Loki had been the one who had influenced Hodr into killing him.

Now his son was fleeing.

But he would be found.

Sigyn was locked up in the palace, but in order to make Loki truly suffer, the Aesir had asked him to do one thing.

It would destroy every single one of them, but if the Allfather did not do it, he would be seen as weak. No one would listen to him.

"Do as you are ordered," he spoke to the person standing off to his left on the stair.

The blond bowed her head and walked away from him.

* * *

In the garden outside of their residence, Narvi was playing with a small ball, throwing and kicking it into the air. He wanted to see how far he would have to make his brother Vali go to get it.

With a powerful kick, the small blue ball went flying overhead and land near the garden wall.

"Narvi, you can be a _smerte_," Vali yelled at him and ran to retrieve the ball.

The youngest twin laughed and waited for his brother to retrieve the ball.

There was a sound that he heard. "Vali," he called for him.

When his brother did not come back, he went skipping through the hedges looking for his brother.

The ball sat resting on the grass, which he took into his hands.

"Vali," he called for his elder twin brother. "Come now Vali this is not funny. Where are you hiding?"

The little Lokison was going to walk back into his home when a growling sound came from behind.

He turned around only to face the source of sound.

And the small blue, red stained ball landed and rolled upon the grass, not making a sound that could echo over the screaming, crying, and growling noises that came from the garden.

* * *

_Midgard - Present time_

Loki opened his eyes with a sudden breath that he was able to take and sat up sharply. The memories had stopped returning to him, but this was more than remembering his past.

It was a reenactment. Where everything felt very real. He could see it, touch it, smell it, hear it.

These were memories that he blocked from his mind. He suppressed them with magical charms; to force himself to forget them.

It was a darker time in his life that he wished to never remember again, and yet now, it was coming back.

What a villain he was to wife, his sons, his family...all they did was love him or want to love him. Yet, he kept them all at arm's length or further away from him.

His shaking hands came to his face, muffling out his tears and trying to keep him still. His whole body quaked and would not remain still.

The pain of those days. Why did he attempt to leave without them? He may not have been able to get Sigyn out of the castle, but he could have at least taken Vali and Narvi with him.

But then his wife would have...

Loki breathed and felt around his chest. The pain was going away as his body quickly healed from taking in...wait.

The injuries that he had taken in from when he had rescued Jane from the car. Was his weakness attributed to his memories being restored?

If so, what would Jane or rather that, his wife Sigyn be thinking? Would she remember anything more with the amount of magic that he had used on her?

Would she be remembering anything about her past anymore?

* * *

_Pool house_

Jane snapped awake, clutching her hands on the carpet that she lied on. She quickly sat up and realized that it was morning.

Thankfully, no one had found her where she had fainted in the living room of the pool house. If she had been found, her family no doubt would have returned her to the hospital.

That was the last place she would have wanted to be. If she was a prisoner there, she would not be able to get the answers she wanted to earn.

She was wanting to be violently ill. All the death and tragedy that she had to witness. It was painful to see everything. One little boy so sweet and innocent, simply killed because of something his father did.

Why was she having these visions? Ever since she kissed that...wait...the guy from the party. Ever since they kissed on the patio. That when she first saw the vision of the venom trial that she had read on the screen.

What was the name of the woman that was Loki's wife?

Jane raced back to the computer and started looking up information. She typed in "Loki's wife" as her search parameters

The name appeared which she read out loud. "Sigyn," she said the name. She started clicking on several links and pages to research what she wanted to find.

Most of them said the same thing. Sigyn was the wife of Loki, tricked into marriage as she was supposed to marry someone else. She married Loki and chose to honor the vows of marriage and to stay with him.

She also read that in this loveless relationship, Loki was often quite cruel and had children outside of their marriage. He in fact had three children who were all born to giant monsters, and were monsters themselves. One a serpent, another a wolf, and his third child was so hideously deformed over half of her body that she was named the Goddess of the Underworld.

Jane printed off all the pages and took them to the couch to read; so not to get eye-strain from staying at the computer screen all day long.

By Loki, she had two sons, Narvi and Vali. When Loki had killed Baldur, or better yet tricked a blind man into killing Baldur, Vali was cursed into the form of a wolf who then pounced on his brother; killing him.

That is what she had just witnessed in her visions.

"Sigyn," she continued to read the listing, "was taken to the mountain where she was presented with a golden bowl by Lord Odin the Allfather. It had once held the blood and entrails from her slain little boy, the one she had just seen in her visions. "The members of the royal court, the Aesir enchanted those organs so they could be used as restraints. When Loki was dragged to his fateful stand, he was restrained with the bloody intestines as Sigyn was given that very bowl to be used to catch the venom of the Serpent of Skadi."

Jane read that Sigyn was often referred to as "The Burden of Loki's Arms." However, other scholars declared her name to "Victory woman" or "Victorious Woman."

Other items she read about how Sigyn was often invoked in Pagan ceremonies for her protection. She was Loki's protector during the venom trial and protected and nurtured her sons from the darkness that her husband's reputation they would forever be attached to.

What a life to live, Jane thought. It was why Sigyn was also attached to being the goddess of compassion and loyalty; under the power she possessed by staying with Loki no matter how evil his acts may have been.

So why was she dreaming these visions from this woman's life? Why did they start when she kissed that man…?

No, it could not have been a complete stranger that she danced with.

Halloween night, she had to have danced with Loki in the disguise of the Phantom of the Opera. When she kissed him was when her visions started. Ever since and even after the accident, they were slowly getting stronger.

Was this a dastardly act of magic that he had placed upon her? Was Loki responsible for these visions? Were they all a lie?

Or worse, could they all be real?

Now she really hated Halloween.

* * *

_I hope that I lived up to your expectations. Please review to tell me if I did. Love you guys!  
_


	15. Chapter 14 I'll never tell

_I know that I am skipping around in the time stream and realms, but it is essential that we maintain this pattern. I will always give you a heads-up as to where we are and what time we are in. _

_For this, we are in present day Asgard...and someone is about to return there.  
_

_For the arrival, I would listen to "The Origin of Parallax" from Green Lantern and "Crisis in Asgard" from Thor for the rest.  
_

_Please review!_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen - I'll never tell**

Asgard was all a glow since Odin awoke from his Odinsleep in a decent amount of time. Prince Thor was not on the throne for every long, even though no major trials or tribulations were left for him to solve.

However, a dark cloud, palpable and unrelenting glided over the waters from the stars. It rose high and suffocated the stars' light, casting the city and the castle in a darkness unseen.

People fled into their homes out of fear that it was the end of the world.

Soldiers who stood guard of the castle attempted to fight back the cloud, but the flaming green eyes that appeared in rapid formation screamed and howled at them.

The guards were suppressed of their air and cast asleep where they stood.

Lady Sif and the Warriors Three appeared from their meeting chamber and saw what they heard to be a demon cloud formation.

They ran away from the apparition toward the throne room; weapons at the ready to defend the royal family.

"Thor!" Sif shouted. "Queen Frigga, we must evacuate the palace!" She was running with all speed.

"Do not fear Lady Sif," Odin said very calmly in his throne. "This means us no harm."

"The guards are dropping," Fandral declared, unsheathing his sword. "This thing is killing them."

The black cloud grew larger, releasing tentacles that put out the torches in the hanging firebowls that lined the chamber.

Everyone was on edge, all but Odin and Frigga.

Thor took out Mjolnir to begin the initial strike upon the cloud.

Incalculable sets of glowing green eyes appeared and stared upon them all. From the center, a pair of glowing purple eyes opened larger than the others. Then a large mouth of purple fire appeared and growled at everyone.

Odin stood from his throne and rapped his spear upon the ground.

Everyone, including the shadow demon stopped and looked to the ruler of Asgard.

"Lady Hela," Odin called. "Is all this theatrical behavior truly necessary?"

All turned to the demon cloud as it slowly reduced its menacing size, revealing the child death goddess herself. Her hair was separated down the middle that was opposite her complexion. The raven hair, symbolic of her father, fell over her pristine white skin and gorgeous violet eye. The white gown that fell over her radiant body clashed with the black half that was torn and tattered.

As was her body. The side with her silver hair and white eye was coated in pale, dying flesh. Bone could be seen beyond the holes in her skin.

Though she had the reputation of death itself, one could not ignore that the daughter of Loki was in fact stunning.

"Oh but grandfather," the sweet voice of Hela replied, "you would expect nothing less from me."

The warriors all put down their weapons when they realized that she had only been playing with them.

However from the cloud, shadowy wraiths rocked from side to side on their feet, claws ready to strike. They no doubt were her guards to ensure her safety.

"Welcome to the royal house of Asgard Lady Hela, our grandchild," Frigga greeted her. "It must be something urgent that has brought you here or you would not have come without announcement."

"Indeed," Hela replied and walked forward. The orchid cloak she wore dragged along the floor.

Tales had been told of this cloak that she wore. It was said that it restored her to life, gave her strength to leave the Underworld of Helheim to travel and do what needed to be done.

She pulled the hood from her head and let loose her waves of hair from within.

"I have come to you Allfather, because one has escaped Helheim outside of my control," she told them. "Nanna has left the Underworld."

Everyone stared about.

"Are you sure it was Nanna?" Thor asked.

"I am beyond sure," Hela replied. "I watched as a Frost Giant, who must have convinced Nanna to leave Baldur's grave, and come with them. He then sacrificed his men to distract my wraiths and Gard was unable to give chase."

"Why would she leave?" Frigga asked. "Nanna was overcome with her grief at Baldur's death, she refused to leave him and that was why she died with him. There cannot be a reason why she would leave..."

"I am not pleased with this," Hela shouted. "I have never lost a soul to this day, and I do not intend upon starting now. I want Nanna returned to Helheim immediately and I require assistance."

"Do you know where they have gone?" her uncle asked of them.

"I know not that information, but until I do or Nanna is returned to me," the goddess threatened, "I will not allow anymore souls to cross into Helheim or Valhalla; per our accord."

Odin stood and approached the deathly demon that was his son's daughter.

"I ask of you Hela, queen of the underworld," Odin spoke as he walked down the steps toward her, "continue in your duties as you have my word that we will return Nanna to you. On that, you have my sworn oath."

Hela nodded her head once. "You do as you need to Lord Odin, my grandfather," she said, "and I will do as I need to."

She spun about on her heels and started to walk from the chamber.

"Oh and one more thing," she spoke, barely turning her head to look at them. "I am interested in the goddess that is to be reborn as well. Since my stepmother has yet to cross my threshold, you may want to search for her...if you want to return Nanna to me."

"Stop with your riddles Hela," Thor spoke and stopped her from walking away further. "What does the prophesy of Sigyn have to do with Nanna escaping your watch?"

"Since both women are very intimate with my father," she answered and put up her cowl to her cloak, "you figure it out."

And Hela along with her wraiths formed their cloud and raced away from Asgard faster than they had arrived.

The royal family members and friends all stared at one another.

Why did they get this feeling that the death goddess was not telling them everything that she knew?

* * *

_Of course, why should she? _

_Hela is quite pretty if you think about it. I have a picture done and I will upload it to my photobucket. I also want to give you a visual. Hela is quite young, but she has the appearance of child starlet Rachel Fox. Look her up (but imagine her as Hela around age thirteen)._

_Do not forget those reviews!  
_


	16. Chapter 15 A Delicate State of Affairs

_Back to Midgard, but this shortie is needed. Being that I am a psychology buff, I had to cover this information as to why Jane is having her visions._

_Music: You have a choice...either "Did Adam put you up to this" from the Green Lantern soundtrack or "Red Ledger" from The Avengers soundtrack._

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen - A delicate state of affairs**

It had been another long day in the Maternity Ward of Harvard Medical Center. In the first four hours of her workday shift, Dr. Rebekah Hastings had helped five new babies to come into the world. She had two mothers whose waters had just broken and another who was almost to the pushing stage.

She would take these limited free minutes to change her scrub shirt into a clean one. She was covered in blood and amniotic fluid and would need a fresh top.

Like a good doctor, she always kept a few spares in her lounge locker.

She also took a few minutes to take a quick shower, just to rinse herself clean and wet her hair. It would make it easy for tying into a bun so she could put it under a surgical cap.

Stepping out in a towel, Beckah put on her lingerie, socks, and then pulled on her sea green scrubbies.

Just as she was pulling on her scrub top, another doctor entered the locker room.

"Hey Beckah," her fellow physician Dr. Thomas Baker entered the space. "I did not know you were on today."

"Must be the full-moon," she replied. "I got three that are cooking and looking to be born soon. Already had a set of twins and three more born since yesterday. It has been quite the flurry of activity, and with Pike out of town for the weekend, I am going to busy."

"Sure will," he said. "Listen, I got the results from your daughter's neurology scan from the car accident."

"Actually, she is my niece, but she is like my daughter. But that is beside the point," she said. "Anything I need to be concerned about?" She was twisting her hair into a bun.

"I actually can pull up the results and the scans here on the computer," he told her.

The two colleagues took a seat at one of the computers that could be used for either work or personal use in their lounge.

"Does Jane remember anything from the accident?" Thom asked her.

"When she shot awake," she said, "she stated that she saw a wolf in the road, but that was it."

"Repression is common when things are traumatic in situations like this...ah here we go. Foster, Jane," he whispered her niece's name and opened the file. "See this."

"Ah Baker, my work is a little south of the brain," she joked with him. "You are going to have to tell me what I am looking at."

"You see these areas during the CT scan, how these areas are glowing. These indicate activity or damage. This area here," the neurologist pointed. "This is the occipital lobe."

"Now I do know that part," Beckah interrupted. "That is responsible for vision."

"Yes. Now if you see, this area is showing increased activity, which in a sense could be sending false information. Maybe she thought she saw a wolf when she saw another car or something else."

"I asked her and she is adamant that it was a wolf."

They moved onto the next scan.

"This part," Baker said. "This is the striatum, the area of the brain called the basal ganglia. Its sole purpose is to work with memories; namely the area responsible for recall of memory. See how dark red it is."

"That is amazing," she whispered as she stared at it. "Why would it be so red and show so much activity?"

"While she was in CT Device, the technician asked her to recall her earliest memory and to hold onto it," Thom explained. "Normally, this would be a bright tomato red color. Jane's scan is a cherry red, almost black which indicates a deep focus on recalling memories."

Beckah looked at him. "Why would she be working so hard?"

"That is just the point. Jane claimed that she was trying to recall the current accident, but with readings like this, she was reaching deeper. This area of her brain is working very, very hard. Almost as if it were trying to restart a past memory. What do you know about the accident that killed her parents?"

"Not much," Rebekah replied. "Jane's memories of the accident were repressed. We had her see a shrink in Concord because she was having terrible nightmares or night terrors once she first got home. We just assumed that she would never remember.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired.

"Because with this sort of brain activity," Thom said, "I think that your niece is going to be remembering a lot of memories very soon. I would even go as far as to diagnose her as having a case of hyperthymesia; a recollection of personal memories that are brought about without triggers or stimuli. She might, with damage to the occipital lobes begin to think she is reliving these moments in her waking life."

Rebekah was now really concerned and stood up. "So are you telling me that Jane could be on the verge of a complete psychotic breakdown?" she asked.

"I am not implying that at all," Dr. Baker said to her. "I fear that if her repressed memories come back, her mind could lose control and make her think that she is seeing things. She could pose a danger to herself, but hopefully not others."

"So should I call her childhood shrink or not?"

"Wouldn't hurt," he told her. "Just to be on the safe side."

She would call Dr. Chambers in the morning when it was safe to call and set up an appointment for Jane. Right now she would call the house and ask if she was OK. Thankfully, her phone was in her locker and she was near it.

However, the house phone rang and rang and rang some more.

Beckah switched numbers to Jane's cellular phone and again, no answer.

Where was her niece?

"Come on Jane, pick up," she begged out loud.

* * *

_If you do not want to review this chapter, I understand, but the next chapter will get you really fired up. _


	17. Chapter 16 A light in dark places

_OK, this one is long chapter, but all these events have to be linked together. It is also the scene you have been waiting for: the couple finally reuniting for good. The italic sections during the story would be visions that they are both sharing ._

_There is a lot of music, but I promise you, you will thank me for it:_

**Thor searching for Jane** - "Doors open from both sides" - The Avengers  
**Jane thinking** - "They called it" - The Avengers  
**Cemetery and returning to cabin** - "Adagio for TRON" - Tron: Legacy  
**Memory recollection** "Finale" - Tron: Legacy  
(SCENE ALERT) **Finally the scene we have all been waiting for**: You have a choice of "Tell him" by Celine Dion or "I want to love you forever" by Jessica Simpson.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen- A light in dark places**

It was a painless, weightless feeling that raced through him as he passed through his mother's magical vortex portal that would carry him to Midgard.

Thor Odinson knew that this was a difficult task and vowed in some way, he would repay her for achieving this gateway for him.

The darkness that rose within his soul days ago gave him means to ask for such a favor.

* * *

_Several days ago_...

It had been a long, physically exhausting day in which Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three had worked to train and spend time with another. They had to work off the tension after the bizarre visit from Lady Hela of the Underworld.

While he had been training, an emissary of Heimdall had come and request his presence.

The guard led him into his father's throne room where the Gatekeeper and both of his parents were present.

Heimdall said words that tragically tore out his heart for all to see.

His mortal friend, Jane Foster, had been seriously hurt in what the humans would have called a "car accident." He assumed it to be something along the reality of her hitting him with her car, though he was resilient to pain. Jane could have been or was possibly killed.

Thor had fallen to a knee, praying to every god that would hear him that she would be OK.

The all-seeing being received yet another vision while they were meeting.

Jane had been rescued from her plight and mysteriously healed by an unseen force or being.

Heimdall placed his hand upon his brow so that he may see the events.

He watched as Jane, bleeding, broken, and unconscious was sliced from fabrics that restrained her and pulled by hands; of whom the identity he could not see.

She was then lifted into the person's cradle and carried before a large explosion sent the both of them flying to the ground.

Thor watched as the person looked upon Jane's form, begging her not to die.

Then he heard what he believed to be a spell and the cloudy voice suddenly became ever so clear. "_Let my strength be yours_," the voice whispered down upon her body. "_Let me take into me your pain and you be strong_."

He was released from the memory hold.

"Loki," he said his brother's name.

"What, son?" his father asked.

"Loki," he repeated as he stood. "He is on Midgard. He rescued Jane from her car before it was destroyed with her inside."

"Are you so certain?" his mother asked. "He was on Jotunheim when we last looked upon him. Jotunheim does not have a portal connecting it with Midgard or any other realm."

"Perhaps he has found or created one," Odin added to the conversation. "Lest you forget my family, Loki is very skilled in magic and intelligence. It is not unheard of for him to find a method of travel to the realm of the mortals. But Thor, why would he travel there, and rescue this woman that you care so much about? Would his intentions not be but to destroy her?"

"I do not know," he replied, "but I ask for your assistance in going there to find out. I must save Jane from him."

"There is no such way for us to send you to Midgard without the potentiality of losing you forever," his father protested. "If I sense that your friend is in danger, I will gladly send an infantry with you at the helm to rescue her."

He was upset, but his mother spoke out to him.

"Odin, husband," Frigga said. "There may be a way to investigate why Loki has gone to Midgard. It will not use much magic and would ensure both our sons safe return home."

"Should I have to bring Loki home," he protested.

"You will return home with him," his mother countered him. "If you refuse this request, I will honor your father's wishes."

Between a rock and a hard place. Refuse to bring Loki back with him and be denied the chance to save Jane or honor his mother's request and save the both of them.

* * *

_Midgard - Present Day  
_

So Thor chose to honor his mother and now was flying through the cosmos with the use of a special medallion that would send him to Midgard, but upon calling for his mother, would return him to Asgard.

It was a onetime only spell that he could not fail. If he did, he would have to exploit another way of returning to Midgard.

Why did he get this feeling in his core that his parents were not telling him everything? In the past few days, it appeared that lies were swirling around him.

When the master conjurer had arrived to the palace, the being asked him to focus on the last place he remembered seeing Jane Foster.

Using a magical globe that was in the shape of the Midgard realm, Thor located the last place he had been where he would start his search of her.

"The village of Puente Antiguo in the land of New Mexico," he instructed.

The charm had been made and he placed it around his neck.

Sif and the Warriors wanted to come along, but he ensured them that he would be able to handle his brother. If he needed them, he would call for aid.

His boots slammed down upon the dark sands of New Mexico near the town where Jane, Darcy, and Erik lived.

Locating her laboratory, he noticed that it was dark. The outside was noticeably barren with her portable chambers missing.

He walked inside and used Mjolnir to generate light so he could see about him.

Much of her equipment, papers, and personal effects were gone. The only items that remained were the long table, her display board, and a few bags of refuse in the corner.

Jane was not here.

He touched the desk and could feel her life aura was gently fading, but it was enough that he would be able to use it to locate her.

No matter where she be, he was bound and determined to scour Midgard until he found her.

Thor raced to the outside and located the direction where her aura would guide him. He spun the hammer about, shooting off into the sky in search of the woman he loved.

* * *

**Concord, Mass**

Her cousins were off to the movies to see the latest science fiction blockbuster at the local movie house, but being that her life was nothing but science fiction, Jane opted for staying home.

She was still drawn into this tale of Loki, his wife Sigyn, and all the tragedy that they had endured throughout their time together.

It was the most tragic of tales. Forced slash falsehood of marriage, death, despair, anger, jealousy, vengeance, betrayals, torture, the list went on as she cycled through it in her head.

One thing was for sure though. Loki was out there and if he was here on Earth or Midgard as he called it, where was he and what was his next move?

Jane heated up some ramen soup and was listening to the news while her noodles softened. Apparently there was a huge rainstorm that was going to slam the east coast; dumping inches of rain, hail, and the possibility of tornadoes could spawn from it.

Good thing that she did not want to go anywhere for the night. She would rather stay in. She and cars did not seem to want to get along. She only hoped that her family got back from town and her aunt and uncle home from work before it hit.

This rain was getting to be ridiculous.

She used a fork to fluff out her soup, noticing it was too hot for her to intake and opted to let it cool for a bit.

Jane locked eyes with the golden helmet on the pub table. She could see her blurred reflection in the metal and golden reflection of the fire.

She bent over, resting her elbows on the table staring into the surface at her reflection. "If only you would show me where your master was," she said and put a hand to the cool surface.

Suddenly, the helmet began to glow. What had she done? What had she triggered?

Her reflection in the helmet showed Loki as clear as day. He was on a rooftop, his raven hair fluttering behind him. She saw eerie images of darkness, leafless branches, and an owl hooting in a tree.

Loki's eyes were exploring and she recognized the name.

Hawthorne.

"What the..." she said aloud. There was only one Hawthorne that she knew of...and he was dead. She finally knew where he was.

Jane whipped on her black rain slicker jacket, popped on her mountain boots, a small beanie cap, and ran out of the house. She was not going to drive anywhere, so thankfully he was still in town.

It was a two mile jog to the downtown main road.

She searched and scoured for which way it was to get to the sight that she had seen in the helmet's reflection. It was not the place that she should be going in the middle of the night when it was about to rain.

In the old tales, people lost their heads in this place.

The place she was going was the historical Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Why would Loki hide here? This was a frightening place to be at night. Being that he was a god, it would not bother him, but it sure did bother her.

She crossed the Old North Bridge to Monument Street. She needed to get to Bedford Road in order to access the haunted grounds.

When she came upon the gates, they were chained up. Jane could not see an access through.

Should she call for him? Maybe he would come.

Most likely not, she thought.

Jane sprung up the wall and used some of the iron loops in the fencing to boost herself over. She hit the ground in a crouch on the other side.

"OK," she said, blowing into her hands. "If you were a god, where would you hide?"

She began to search around.

* * *

The wind was lightly brewing with the storm that would be rolling in from the west. The air was slightly chilled, but being a Frost Giant that he was, Loki was not troubled by it all.

His injuries from saving Jane Foster from the car accident were now healed, but he had tried to stay away from her. All his questions perplexed him to the point of frustration. Was she his wife from his past? Was she his Sigyn reborn in a mortal's body? If she was, why did she not remember it? How could he return her to her former glory? Did he really want her back?

He had to admit that he was not the greatest husband in the world and did not respect her at all. It was only during the venom trial that he learned to grow and love her.

The random, racing thoughts were broken when he heard not too far away, a snapping tree limb.

He sprung off the structure he was sitting on and began to search for the origin of the sound.

* * *

Jane Foster continued to walk through the creepy cemetery. She passed some of history's greatest people, but still did not find the God of Mischief. Maybe he was no longer here.

The owl she heard from the helmet's vision was in view. Its large yellow eyes stared at her.

Should she call out for him? Would that get him on the defensive and run away? Then again, she had just broken into a historical site. If discovered here, she could be arrested. Not the thing you want to have to explain to your aunt and uncle whom you were living with.

Then the ground was gone and she plummeted into the darkness; howling until she hit solid ground.

It was freezing cold and the ground was moist and crumbly. She had fallen at least six feet if not more.

The light of the moon was going to be blocked out soon by the approaching storm.

Jane reached up for the edge, but realized that the ground soil was too loose for her to get a good grip on let alone being short.

Her heart-rate rose, panic took hold, and all she wanted to do was scream. She had fallen into a sinkhole it appeared. There were no active funerals that happened in this cemetery.

Once the rain rolled in, the soil would begin to fill her confinement and she would be suffocated under the earth.

"Help," she howled, but found her breathlessness was preventing it from coming out fully. "Help," she called again.

The rain started to fall and she panicked further. Mud and water began to pool near her ankles. Her hands were shaking and her knees became weak.

"Help!" she finally got the word out.

* * *

Loki searched for Jane, but could not find her. It was as if she vanished.

Then he heard a desperate cry for help. She was still here, but where?

He could feel her heart, throbbing and thrusting hard. Tears raced down her cheeks and fear rose within her.

The rain was picking up as was the lightning that crashed through the sky. This storm was going to be powerful. His mission to find her had reached critical importance.

Finally, he saw a large hole in the ground near one of the old burial markers. It appeared that the ground had given way and Jane was no doubt in that hole.

He rushed to the opening and saw that she was indeed in the hole, but was far from his reach.

"Jane," he called her name, not knowing her reaction to his arrival.

* * *

Jane Foster looked up and gasped, clutching her hands around the collar of her jacket. Finally, someone had heard her, but they knew her name.

She finally found him or yet he had found her.

Pristine emerald eyes looked down upon her.

"Loki," she said his name.

"Greetings," he spoke to her before reaching down to grab her. "Take my hand."

She stood up and tried to stretch out her hands to him. However she was too far away for him to reach her. She tried jumping, but still it was not enough.

"I can't reach," she cried. "You have to help me."

"I am going to," he promised.

Suddenly, his body sprung into the sinkhole and landed beside her.

Jane got the full look of Loki in that instance. His golden and leather armor shined in the light of the storm with an emerald cape that matched his eyes.

"Come," he ordered her. "Let me free you from here."

She did as she was told even against her better judgment, but survival outweighed logic.

He lifted her into his arms while she took a tight grip of his lapels.

* * *

Loki took her tightly into his arms and used his godly powers to spring into the air. He covered her head to avoid the tree branches that they crashed through to keep her safe.

The storm above them blew harsh cold winds and blinding rain, but he forced them above the clouds. It was freezing at this height so he would not be able to keep her up here long up here for fear she would freeze.

He would take her to the one familiar place where she would feel safe; her home.

It was a simple spring above the clouds and Loki brought them down upon the outside of the pool that rested outside her lodgings.

Jane still had a tight grasp on his lapels, shaking uncontrollably.

"It's OK now," he told her. "I brought you home."

But she was reluctant to believe him.

He carried inside her inside the small cottage, placing her on the sofa where she continued to be frightened.

Her body, her hands, everything shook with fear and unknown. Was this because of her near burial or was she afraid of him?

"Jane, Jane," he tried to get her to look at him. "I am going to go and start a fire to warm you up. I am not going anywhere. Just stay still."

Her head gently nodded and he went to do as he told her.

The fireplace was located next to her bed. Taking a magical flame from his hand, the fire cackled to life; filling the small dwelling with heat and light.

Loki returned to Jane's side and forced her to look at him. "Jane, I am going to help you take off this wet jacket. I mean you no harm. I am trying to help you."

He pulled down the fastener trail from top to bottom. It allowed him to pull the jacket and gloves from her hands and arms.

She pulled off the cap from her head while he slipped off her boots.

Jane had tried to stand, but her legs gave way to where he had to catch her. She was in no condition or stability to walk.

So he scooped her into his arms again and carried her toward the bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed before the fire.

The prince covered her in a blanket that rested at the end and created friction against her arm. She did need to warm up after getting soaked.

"Why?" she chattered.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why did you save me?"

He did not know which rescue she was referring to. Either the present one or the car accident a few days ago.

"How can you be so certain that I am the one that saved you and take the credit for it?" he challenged her.

"Because that is not your style," she chattered. "I read your biography and if you could take credit for it, you would. But Thor is not here, so why not claim your handiwork?"

With that retort, he figured she was coming around.

"You are welcome," he said and began to get up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "You cannot expect to be out there in this storm."

"Ms. Foster, I have survived worse than this," Loki replied. "I have been through wars, trials, tribulations, and pain unlike anything you have ever experienced before. A little rainstorm will not frighten me."

He was going to leave again. Loki was near the steps that lead down to the common area; his hands gripping the wooden rails that separated both rooms.

"Is that what you did to me on Asgard all those times?" her voice cut him.

Loki turned. Had she just mentioned the past?

"It is what you did, right?" she asked. "You either forced me to be with you or you punished me physically, or left me alone, did you not?"

"How is it that you know these things?" he asked her.

"I have been doing my homework," she told him, sitting up to speak. "But ever since, I cannot shake the feeling that you are not telling me everything," her words stung and stopped him in his tracks after he turned away from the mortal. "Are you?"

"Am I what?" He had craned his neck to nearly look in her direction, but did not turn completely.

"Is there a reason that you are here? For me? Are you here to kill me because of my relationship with your brother?"

"Me," he blurted with a laugh. "Jealous of Thor? I think not." They were silent and he wanted to take a moment to check his attitude before he spoke again. "I did come initially to take and use your knowledge for my own design. Thor has nothing to do with why I am here, but I assure you, I would not have harmed you."

"And now...?"

Loki turned and faced her. "Now, I am not sure."

"Does that have to deal with the visions I am having?" she asked.

"What visions?"

"When you touched me, when you kissed me at the Halloween party," she said rising from the bed and clutching the blanket around her. "I saw something. I saw a realm of gold, I saw you, but you were chained and I was looking down upon you."

He was amazed that she had seen so much. She remembered the venom trial and holding the bowl to spare him of pain.

"How do you know these to be real? They could be part of your imagination."

"Because you would not still be here if you believed that," she said.

Clever little mortal, he thought.

They now stood before one another. His height overshadowed hers as he stared into her amber eyes.

"I want to ask you to do it again," she asked, her hand reaching out for his face.

He was uncomfortable and pulled back.

"You are asking for me to use magic on you?" he asked.

"If it helps me to remember who it is you believe me to be," she said, "yes. I want to see if these visions are truly real or are they something else."

Loki slowly walked away and then turned back to face her. "Do you know what you are doing young one?" he asked.

"I do," she replied. "I want you to tell me who I am."

It was against his better judgment, but he decided that he would help her. As much as it pained him, Loki did want Sigyn back on his side.

Jane took his hand and they walked back to the bed. She got comfortable lying on her side closest to the fire.

Loki changed from his armor to his simple brown and green tunic. It would allow more comfort for him to complete what they were going to do.

He took the same position next to her, taking her hands that trembled with fear or chill and slowly brought them to rest around near the base of his head. "Do not move from my mind," he told her.

"I won't," she told him.

Loki put his hands in the same position on her head.

"Now close your eyes Jane."

She did as she was told.

He moved closer so that their foreheads could touch. "Focus on me Jane," he whispered. "Bring our minds, our requests, together. Let your mind tell me what you want to see."

The spell began to work as their minds slowly came together. He closed his eyes as well.

_They passed the stars and the cosmos toward the home realm of Asgard. The visions started with them (Thor, Theoric, Sif, Sigyn, Baldur, and he) as children, all playing in a garden together. As the visions transcended, they saw their wedding ceremony where Loki had tricked Sigyn into marrying him. The people of Asgard were in horror. Odin was furious, but she stood before him and pledged her love to him as his wife._

_However though he was not the greatest of men, she still remained loyal to him. They were able to see her give birth and raise their two sons Vali and Narvi. For her loyalty, she was named the Goddess of Fidelity._

_Sigyn had been a wonderful mother and confidant to him. She stayed with him and loved him unconditionally; even through the verbal and physical abuse he put her through._

_When he had been responsible for the death of his brother Baldur and tied to the rock, Sigyn was there at his side. She had been particularly devastated when the Aesir had transformed their son Vali into a wolf to kill their other son._

Jane's hands nearly parted from him, but he forced her to stay connected.

"Stay with me," he told her through his gritted teeth. This was just as painful for him to relive as it was for her to experience. Most of this they had already seen together or separately, but it worth the pain to start from the beginning and work to the end.

_He was tried and condemned to his trial by venom where his son's intestines were used to tie him to the rock. He struggled to get free, but he would not be freed as the serpent above him would drain venom into his mouth._

_However his wife, his precious Sigyn was there with the bowl to shield him from harm._

Jane's hands shook as he could hear her sadness.

It pained him that she was living it all over again. He had gotten over the pain, but still this bothered him.

_Sigyn had been there every day, emptying the bowl, remaining loyal as ever and pledging to take care of him._

She could not take anymore and forced her hands away from him. The force of the magic releasing them caused him to roll off the bed and hit the floor.

Jane was breathing heavily and sat up where she was.

"Wha...was that my life?" she asked.

Loki used the bed to help him stand erect and come to sit by her. "Yes," he said. "Everything that you and I had been through in our past has been shown to you. Calm yourself," he whispered, "or you will go into shock."

"I...I don't...our sons...they were...killed because of..." Her eyes locked on with his. "It's all you. Everything. Every ounce of pain we have had to endure is linked to you. Why?" Her voice was elevated. She shoved him away and climbed off the bed.

However, she did not go down the steps, but whipped around to face him again. "Why am I here? Why was I reincarnated here on Earth?" she asked. "What did I do wrong? I did everything...for you, all because of my vow to you."

"I do not know," he told her. "It sure was not a reward for what you have done in your past life."

"But why?" she screamed. "I was loyal to you. What happened? How did you get free?"

Loki pushed passed her and went down the two steps to be away from her. "That night you went to empty the bowl that was filled with venom," he began to explain and relived that memory in his own mind. "You kissed me as you always did before you left and went to empty the venom out."

A tear escaped down his cheek. "But you never came back," he told her, turning his face to look at her. "I thought that maybe you were done with me. I would have been after all I had done to you."

Jane blinked, a tear escaping both of her eyes.

"My father, Odin had felt the continuous quakes that would come from the venom reaching me. He wondered why you were not there to keep the venom at bay," he continued to explain. "They found your tiara that you wore and blood...a lot of blood. They figured you were dead. Your mother Freyja blamed me for it, but my father released me so that I may grieve for you. It was determined that I did not have anything to do with your death, but forever, I was seen as a pariah in Asgard. Never seen as worthy of anything. I used spells and charms to block my memories just so I could live a normal life.

"But because of those spells, I believe it is why I did not see you as Sigyn when Thor came here. I just saw you as a silly mortal. I fell to Jotunheim when the BiFrost was destroyed, and I will soon be their king." Loki felt so weak in sharing everything with her. "I never truly had a time to grieve for you. I simply repressed it so I did not remember you."

"Did you?" she asked after a period of silence. "Did you put me from your mind so you did not need to grieve?"

"I did," he told her, "...and I still do."

Jane came and sat by him. "You are still grieving?"

"How can I not? You were the one person who never lied to me, never strayed your loyalty, you raised our sons, how can I not love you? How could I ever stop grieving for you?" He was not shouting at her, but to her.

Loki felt helpless and finally let his pain and tears be shown. It was done. He had borne his soul for her to see.

He felt pathetic.

* * *

Jane felt bad for Loki. He had saved her, not once but twice. Now he had confessed that he wished he had not treated her so terribly in her past life. She felt pity for him.

But with all these memories coming back, was she truly Sigyn? Was she this Norse deity reborn in a mortal's body?

She couldn't fathom all of the information all at once. It was too painful to think about.

So she would deal with her current problem.

Jane placed a hand on the right side of her husband's face. She wanted to look into his eyes directly before she said anything to him.

Their eyes met yet again and followed one another.

Her thumb digit wiped away the line had formed on his cheek.

* * *

**_(Squeamish ones, depart from this scene onward to Chapter 17)_**

Loki could feel her soft fingers as they fidgeted along his facial profile. As they stroked ever so delicately across, he found that his lips wanted to kiss and savor them, which they did. His other hand came to press them closer; his fingers taking in every divine touching sensation.

"We can fix this," she told him. "We can fix anything...now that we are together...again."

Had she just said that they were together again? Why did she say that? Was it a part of her past coming back in this moment with him?

"Did you say "we?" he asked.

She nodded. "If we are going to figure out what happened, we have to stay together."

As if magnetic forces were in control, Jane crossed the space between and brought her lips to his.

Loki tried fighting, but the sweet succulence and softness her mouth tempted him to a point he could not resist. They were warm and sweet to his chilled ones.

His hand reached for her hair and entangled in her strands.

Her hands grasped a tight hold on the lapels of his tunic.

A large crack of thunder erupted over their heads, causing the power to flicker and finally plunging them into darkness. She was terrified and sprang into his arms; hers wrapping around him.

The only light they would have was the fire.

He chuckled briefly at her fear.

The tops of his fingers caressed her cheek, smoothing away the tears that were trying to escape, but she held back.

"Tell me," he asked.

"What?" she replied.

"Tell me what you are thinking."

"Well," she said, her hand coming to rest on his cheek, "I just found out that I am your wife of thousands of years. I want to learn about you. Learn what it means to be your wife."

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"Yes."

And he smiled.

Within moments they were enveloped in the throes of passion before the roaring fire. Their bodies entangled in the soft fabrics while their mouths were nearly fused together.

His arms wrapped around completely, holding her securely to him.

Her fingers raced slowly down his back, feeling multiple scars that were left. They traced around the closed marks, feeling the unevenness across his flesh.

Most of the times that he and his wife coupled, she loathed having to give into his demands. Now, everything was different. She had given herself to him willingly and full of life.

He reached around and pulled her arm back, pressing it down to the bed within his powerful grasp. His mouth traveled along the paths of her neck while savoring every sensation.

Her gasping breath delicately said his name.

And he repeated the notion by saying her name, but instead he called her Sigyn.

It was an unusual name to get used to, but he hoped she would adjust.

Loki brought her body to be over his, mainly so he could now see the glowing flames illuminate her gorgeous eyes. It gave him a glimpse of the future when she would be immortal and at his side again.

He brushed away Jane's hair so to stare into her eyes completely.

She was as beautiful as he remembered.

"My prince," she whispered to him. "My sweet Loki." Hearing her call him her prince and her sweet was a song of rapture to his ears.

"My angel," he replied.

Their breathless kisses were numerous before they sealed themselves together for several minutes.

As they were together, the hand that was grasped tightly into his mane was brushed seductively by his own.

A ring of gorgeous emerald appeared on her hand. It was a pristine tear-shaped stone on a golden band. It was not her ring that he had given her on their wedding day, but it would be the one that would help them to start anew.

Jane parted from him to stare at the ring against her finger, examining it in the glowing amber light.

"The emerald, is said that it preserves love and seen as a symbol of hope," he told her. "It may not be the ring I gave you the first time, but you deserve so much more from me."

Her eyes looked back to him. "I have nothing to give you," she said.

"You have given me the greatest gift ever," he answered. "You came back and gave me back hope. Hope in good and love again."

He would never get over how beautiful her smile was, especially when it came down beaming at him. It met his lips and he returned her appreciation.

Their passion was enough to set the universe ablaze and apparently neither of them was willing to separate or stop it.

Even as the rain poured, the winds whipped, and the thunder cracked, nothing was going to part them ever again.

L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7 L7

Loki stared up at the roaring storm as the water rapped at the skylight window that was over the bed. Lightning brought more light to the darkness as the dim flaming light from the fireplace was quelling.

Though his love for Sigyn was absolute and now discovering that she and Jane were one in the same body, he did feel terrible for Thor. If his brother had been given the chance to know what was happening, he would be furious with him.

Jane shifted in her sleep, cuddled into the space between his body and the canopy that hung from the ceiling. She was so close that her body could be misconstrued as being a part of him.

Loki combed her hair behind her ear, causing her to lightly stir, but she remained asleep. His fingers moved to caress her cheek, chin, shoulder, and down her arm.

She nuzzled in closer to him to where he brought his leg to cover over both of hers.

"Thank you Jane," he whispered to her. "For loving and accepting me for me."

She still had yet to accept that she was Sigyn, though she accepted the memory restoration. It would be a long journey to help her regain her identity.

But tomorrow would be another day and hopefully, they would be able to finish the job and make her into the goddess she was meant to be.

What a triumphant return they would make into the Halls of Varnoth, he thought. They would rule Jotunheim together and one day, become a force to be reckoned with.

Anything was possible now that they were back together.

"You're welcome," she mumbled.

And sleep took hold of them both; the storm not disturbing them at all.

* * *

_Romantic, huh? Please review if you enjoyed this extremely long chapter also tell me what you thought. I hope that I have not disappointed you in anyway._


	18. Chapter 17 Illusion of Beauty

_I sure hope that you enjoyed Chapter Sixteen (especially those of you that skipped the end due to squeamish feelings). Whereas that would be a pivotal moment, we have only just begun to get interesting. _

_Here is your music for this chapter (mainly before and after the interruption): "Euphorium" Relaxing Ambient Music: Volume 3.  
_

_Enjoy and please review! I have loved them!_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen - Illusion of beauty**

The morning returned with bright white clouds reappearing over the Hastings household grounds. Birds sang amongst the misty smoke that covered the grass and field.

Loki and Jane were still asleep, well after the fire had burned out and the storm finally passing.

The peaceful slumber was interrupted by the sound of rapping at the front door.

He stirred and heard the noise that was coming to the small quarters around the pool.

"Janie," the voice of Jane's aunt Lady Rebekah called into the house.

He sat up with a start, wondering how he was going to explain anything if he was not invisible.

"Jane," he said her name. "Jane, wake up."

She stirred and struggled to open her eyes.

The sound of a key turning and the door opening was enough to send shivers down his spine.

He had to think of something and quickly.

* * *

Rebekah Hastings walked into the pool house searching for her niece. She was worried when she did not answer her cellular phone or come up to the house during the storm. Not to mention she was still worried after the doctor's report on her mind.

The storm had knocked out power across their area of the grid and had been out for several hours. One of the willows in their neck of the woods had fallen on the lines and there was no telling when it would be restored.

But Jane was her number one concern right now. Her rain jacket was in a pile on the floor by the couch and from the smell, she had lit a fire in the middle of the night and it was slowly smoldering. Maybe she was still in bed asleep.

"Janie," she called again.

"Right here," a voice grumbled and climbed out of the covers.

Jane appeared, rubbing her eyes with her hair all in knots. She looked like she had been up pretty late.

"There you are darling," she said. "Did you not here me call for you?"

"No, I was up pretty late last night," her niece answered. "Storm kept me up."

"Kept me up for sure," Beckah replied. "There is no power in town or at the main house. The power company has no idea when it will be restored so we were going to head into Boston and go use your uncle's showering facilities at the capitol building since they are free."

"Sounds grand," Jane answered. "What a grand idea. Let me get some of my things together and I will meet you at the house. Need a few minutes to wake up."

"Well, do not take too long. Rachael has a shoe fetish feeling and she is wanting to shop since we are in Boston. Plus I want to talk to you about the car accident as I spoke with the doctor who took care of you. He has some concerns."

Her niece nodded her head a couple of times. "Very well," she answered. "I will be there in a couple of moments."

Jane sure was talking very interestingly as she headed back into the bedroom of the pool house. She wondered what was going on.

Maybe it was time for the shrink visit after all.

* * *

Loki, in his illusion as Jane, slid off to the side until he was assured that Lady Hastings had indeed left. Once she was gone, he reappeared as himself; with a snap of his fingers.

He cast aside the blanket that he had covered Jane's body in order to hide the fact that she was still asleep and not see him there in bed with her.

"OK, love you need to wake up now," he told her. "You need to get going."

"Where?" she grumbled.

"Your family wants to go into the city of Boston," he told her. "You are going to clean yourselves up and apparently spend time appealing to your cousin's love for shoes."

Jane sat up and covered her naked body in the blanket. "Joygasm," she replied while yawning. "Want to go with and keep me from going insane?"

"Your aunt just saw you, not me, out there," he told her. "To have me come along to the city with you would be a firestorm of questions and misinterpretations. I will meet you there later. I pray you will come up with a backstory that will seem believable."

Jane grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it, laughing at her childish action.

He blocked the shot with his hands and took a tight hold of it. Using it as a distraction, Loki reached over and took his wife into a tight hold.

She was laughing hysterically, which he silenced by kissing her.

Her kisses were long and though he tried to push her away so she could prepare to spend time with her family, she refused to part.

"You must go," he told her, pulling all her hair to one side of her face. "I will be with you later."

"Promise?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"You did before," she replied.

"That was the past. This is now."

He kissed her again and that is when Jane, though protesting climbed out of bed.

And Loki smiled and took the opportunity to relax.

* * *

_Downtown Boston_

She would never get used to the Bostonian traffic jams that plagued the streets and freeways. Jane could not fathom how her aunt and uncle did this commute everyday.

Well, when your uncle does not have to drive because he is a senator and your aunt who took great pride in bringing new people into the world, the drive seemed insignificant.

Rachael took forever in Uncle Mike's shower, as teenagers often did. She gave her aunt the shower next so she too could prepare herself for shopping.

Jane was easy however. A shower and wash and she was good to go.

This was not the life of a former goddess. How would her life change? Would she live in the golden halls of Asgard being followed by servants and security details? She was so used to being simplistic and ordinary.

But things had changed; especially after last night.

Her aunt was using her brush to create body to her hair, since she could not curl it.

While twirling the gift from her husband on her finger, Jane remarked to herself how beautiful her aunt was and wished she had inherited those genes.

"Aunt Beckah," she said her name.

"Yes sweetheart," her aunt answered.

"Question, hypothetically of course. Do you think that I am pretty?"

She seemed caught off guard a bit and looked at her. "Oh Janie, you are stunning," her aunt said. "But it is not all about looks you know. It is about what is on the inside. That is where true beauty lies. The looks on the outside are like the special features on DVDs; they're bonus features."

Jane grinned at the comparison.

"Why do you ask honey?"

"It's just that you and Rachael, you...I don't know. Rachael always has a new boyfriend every week pretty much. You and Uncle Mike were love at first sight. Me, I am just to put it mildly, a plain Jane."

"Well your cousin has commitment issues because she is too picky," Aunt Beckah told her. She reached out and put her hand under her chin; massaging it with her thumb. "There is nothing wrong with being plain Jane. Sometimes the plain Jane's are the ones that hold the greatest power."

_If only you knew_, she thought.

"And you were very beautiful at the Halloween party. Remember that cute young man, the Phantom character, he asked you to dance because you were very lovely as Ms. Peacock."

"I was all dolled up like a goddess then," Jane replied. "I just don't see me as a goddess now."

"Your prince is out there Jane," Beckah told her. "You be as beautiful as you are and he will find you."

_Again, if you only knew_, she replied.

"Speaking of princes and that guy that asked me to dance with him..."

Suddenly she paused at what she was doing. "Yes..."

"He sort of found me."

Her aunt's expression was one of joy, but yet a little concern. "Oh really?"

"I have been chatting with him recently and I don't know. I think he might be, you know..."

"The one?" her aunt finished her sentence.

"Is it weird of me to think that?"

"Not at all. What is his name?"

"He says that it is..." _Eeek_, she thought. She could not tell her that he was Loki, the God of Mischief. She would have her committed with all her other issues. "It's Luke," she blurted the first name that sounded like it.

"Is he from around here?"

"He sort of just dropped in recently and was looking for a place to call home."

"Job?" her aunt began the interrogation.

"Fairly wealthy and well-known. He says that likes to cause a little mischief here and there."

"Well," Beckah said as she finished with her cosmetic application, "I would love to meet him. Maybe he could join us for lunch? We are going to the cafe where your uncle and I had our first date."

"I suppose I could check with him."

"Then make yourself into a goddess for him," her aunt said passing her the makeup bag. "If that will make you feel better in front of him."

Jane smiled.

Her aunt kissed the top of her head and stepped out; not before shouting at her cousin to hurry up with his grooming and shaving so they could leave.

She looked to herself in the mirror and saw her ordinary face.

Reaching into her aunt's makeup bag for some concealer and eyeliner, she was suddenly shocked to hear a voice behind her. She dropped the eyeliner on the table when she heard his voice.

"_You do not need to make yourself presentable to me_," Loki's voice spoke into her mind. "_You are perfect as you are_. _And you can talk to me, but I would use a low voice or send me a thought when you cannot speak openly_."

"I take it you were listening to that whole mundane conversation?" she whispered very low.

"_Every word. Could you have come up with a better name other than _"_Luke_?"

"Well, would you have liked me to reveal that you are the God of Lies and Mischief? I am trying to sell you to her so that she does not freak out when you meet her." She started to apply the makeup.

"_I suppose not_," his voice spoke to her. "_It would have been an honor to meet your real mother and father_."

"Aunt Beckah and Uncle Mike were great as I grew up. Without them, I would have been an orphan and who knows how we would have met; if at all."

"_It was destiny Jane. Destiny that we are drawn together in this way. So lunch it is."_

"Do you think you could put up with normal human speak and attire for a bit?" she spoke as she applied the eyeliner.

_"Asgardians can conform to their environment. I have been here many times before and know how to put on my best performance."_

"It better be worthy of an Oscar."

"Who are you talking to cuz?" the voice of her cousin Chris came as he exited the bathroom.

Jane was in shock. How long had he been standing there listening to her "talk" to Loki?

"Oh, just talking to myself. Putting on make-up so...so I can put on an Oscar performance when you all meet my friend later at lunch."

Chris seemed to believe her and went away.

She breathed a sigh of relief and went to finish dolling herself up...all the while hearing Loki laugh in her ear at the amusement.

* * *

_A cutesy chapter, but we need to tone it down...but next chapter is...well, you will have to read to find out. Do not forget those reviews._


	19. Chapter 18 Do you remember now?

_I told you the tempo was about to pick back up, and their problems are about to come back. Let's see what happens. For continued devotion, this chapter is devoted to Sweet Sweet Hedwig._

_Music for_ you:  
**Family attacked **- "Fall" from Tron: Legacy  
**Jane wakes up and her final memory restored - "**Queen of the Damned" on Queen of the Damned  
**Loki and Nanna: Round One** - "Frost Giant Battle" (ironic) on Thor Soundtrack**  
Jane is missing** - "Father and Son" from Tron: Legacy

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen - Do you remember now?**

_Seaside Cafe_

When in Boston, there was one thing that all visitors and locals agreed on: what to eat. And the dish that was often selected was lobster.

The Hastings / Foster group took a seat at an outdoor table.

Jane took the outside seat up against the rail that separated her from the sidewalk. Mainly so that the secret service officer that escorted them could have access to her uncle, her aunt could sit next to him while her cousins took the area by the window to the cafe.

Once their drinks were ordered, her relatives ordered a clambake feast where they would dump the food on the table with a shovel so they could feast like the olden days.

Jane was beginning to feel more and more Asgardian every minute. She had heard, from Loki telling her in her head, that everyone sat around the table and took what they wanted to feast on.

She begged for him to hurry up because the mindless chatter of her family and Loki giving her knowledge of her former life was giving her a headache. She sat there, twirling her new bauble around her finger.

"_I am coming my love_," he told her. "_Just hold your own_."

In order to prevent them from hearing her, she spoke her thoughts into her mind.

"_Ouch my love, that was quite a jab_."

_You deserved it,_ she thought back. _At least I am getting this whole mind-link thing under control_.

Just as the waitress was arriving, a large explosion rang out, fire erupted, glass shattered, and people went flying.

Jane did not know how far she went into the street, but she was not near the cafe anymore.

She even blacked out for a moment upon impact, wherever she had landed.

* * *

Rebekah Hastings opened her eyes and immediately went into survival mode. She located her children. Chris was slowly coming around after being covered with glass from the window.

Rachael was under the collapsed table.

Secret service officer Tate moved to secure her husband whom they moved to the Explorer.

He needed to be secured as was protocol.

But where was Jane?

"Jane," she called for her.

There was no sight of her.

* * *

Loki glided through the sky, a smile on his face that could light Midgard for centuries. The joy in his heart of finding the one love that he had was amazing.

But that feeling was soon gone when pain struck at his head.

"Jane," he called for her.

No response.

"Jane," he called again.

Again, silence.

The pain in his mind and her silence could mean only one thing. His love was in danger.

He hastened his pace in flight to get to her.

* * *

Jane slowly tried to regain her focus of her vision. The explosion had been intense. Shattered glass, flying furniture, people screaming, the heat of the flames, it caused chaos all around.

Her memory retriggered and it was living over her childhood again. She was belted into the car and she could see her father's body ejected from the car. Her mother's blood covered face and open eyes staring at her.

Her repressed memories, which she thought were blocked from her conscious, were coming as she tried to wake up and recollect her current status.

When she realized that she was lying in the ditch of the sidewalk and street, Jane knew she had to try and get up.

Blood was draining from a wound on her right temple. It was probably the reason why she was having trouble regaining her equilibrium.

The feet from the attacker were drawing closer to her, causing her heart to race with all speed.

Jane slid her leg upward to bring herself back vertical. Her eyes slowly refocused and she was able to see the attacker there.

The silver armor flashed against her navy tunic with black boots that rapped against the concrete of the street.

"My my my," the female attacker said. "You must know who you are if you were able to survive my attack."

She was speechless. "I do not know what you are talking about. Perhaps, you have just really bad aim," Jane answered.

"Oh dear, my precious Sigyn," the woman said as she walked closer to her, "you still do not know who you truly are. However, you must have someone protecting you."

"Nope, all alone." Jane was slowly backing away from the warrior. "You know, I think you have the wrong girl. I am not this Sigyn…"

"Liar!" She fired on her with the weapon mounted on her arm.

Jane howled and ducked, cowering to avoid the attack. A car behind her exploded into a large ball of flames.

People near it scattered.

"I was the one who took your life Sigyn! I was the one that ran you through, I think I would know your aura anywhere."

Jane kept trying to back away when the woman launched a ball of fire in her direction. She ducked, but the shattered remains of a car blocked her main egress.

Now she had nowhere to go.

"You see Sig, I know all about you and can read your mind."

Great, she thought. A mind reader. How was she going to get out this?

"Well, you know about me, but I have to admit that I do not remember you," she tried to buy herself some time. "What did I ever do to you…I did not catch your name."

The warrior, definitely Asgardian, looked and paced before her. "Your beloved husband killed my husband Sig. Now I plan on taking you from him as repayment."

Now she knew who this was. This was Nanna, the wife of Baldur, but if she was who she believed her to be, then how could she be here on Earth? Was she not supposed to be on a flaming boat with her dead husband?

She fired again, but with the flaming car Jane had nowhere to go.

Something came down and took the impact blast for her, shielding her in their grasp. The flaming wreck was shoved aside simultaneously and they both hit the ground.

Jane looked up and saw her hero.

"Loki," she breathlessly acknowledged his presence.

* * *

Loki looked down at Jane, but then turned his gaze back to Nanna, Asgardian goddess of fertility and beauty. Supposedly, she was in the Underworld with his daughter Hela, but now she was on Midgard; attacking his beloved.

While in flight, he had heard the demented goddess was ranting about. She was the one that had attacked Sigyn the night she disappeared. Now she was here to finish that which she started.

"Nanna, why?" he asked. "Why do this now?"

"Because the _both_ of you robbed me of my happiness," she roared, the gauntlet weapon attached to her arm pointed in their direction.

He kept Jane behind him once they were both standing again.

"You tricked Hodr into killing my Baldur," she told them. "You and your rabid jealousy that my beloved was taking everything from you. You would have nothing, you demon Frost Giant."

She knew about who he was.

"How about that Loki? I know everything about you. You don't deserve your rank, your title, your power. So I sought to take away the one thing that brought you joy; your precious wife."

* * *

Jane had a tight vice on Loki's cape as she stayed behind him; her champion shielding her from harm.

This woman was demented. She was projecting her anger over the death of her husband onto her. She did not even know what she had to do with this tragedy.

"I figured that Odin torturing you with the venom trial would be enough," the goddess said to them, "but no Sigyn. You had to hold the bowl and keep him from being harmed. Why? He tricked you. He used you, and yet you stayed. For your loyalty you were rewarded with godlike powers and becoming the goddess of fidelity.

"Do you even remember what happened that day Sig?" Nanna asked. "Do you remember how you wound up where you are now? How about we all take a walk into our pasts?" The weapon released a wave of magic that struck them.

Her head started throbbing. The pain raced through it was like before when she started to see the visions; the ones of her past.

Loki too bent over with a hand against the front of his though his helmet was in the way. Before falling to his knees, he grasped her hand tightly.

Both of them were recalling their memories, only this time, they were clear as day.

* * *

_Centuries ago_

"_You went to empty the bowl, leaving a kiss on Loki's lips_," Nanna's voice echoed through her mind. "_I wanted to vomit at your love for that monster. I figured if I was to be alone, so would he. I found you walking to the river to dispose of the venom. You were humming, you were always humming, and in a grand mood_."

They all watched as Sigyn knelt down and poured the venom away, humming a gentle song. She rinsed the bowl quickly and washed off her hands.

Jane thought about how beautiful she was, err had been with her golden tiara halo that wrapped around her head with a Celtic knot symbolizing marriage on her forehead. Her hair was filled with an intricate array of spirals that were tied behind her head.

The water was still as she combed several curls behind her ears.

Suddenly there was darkness in the river as she was grabbed at her neck and pushed down into the water. The hand's owner was trying to drown her.

"_You fought me off_," her rival's voice said as Jane watched her past self grab Nanna's arm and bring her over onto her back. "_I had never known you to be violent, but you were able to fight me off. You grabbed a rock and hit me upside the head_."

Sigyn fought hard to defend her life. The rock covered in blood was dropped to the ground and she attempted to run towards where Loki was restrained.

Nanna caught up and took her to the ground, her tiara falling to the grass.

The women fought until a blade of crystal plunged downward to the ground.

Jane could feel the pain that she as Sigyn felt when she was stabbed. She thought she saw blood on her hands.

"_I left you there, hoping you would crawl to Loki so he could see you perish and want to die at last, but you couldn't be a good girl now could you_."

Sigyn grabbed a handful of grass to pull herself toward her husband. She used the other hand to cover the wound that she had received. The blood covered her hand and her pale blue gown.

She cried right before she hit the ground in agony. Her eyes softly closed and her memories ceased.

* * *

_Present time_

Jane reopened her eyes, sharp and clear as before.

What a way to die, she thought. She was brutalized and left to bleed to death by this demented woman who blamed Loki for the death of her husband.

Loki's eyes scanned her face. His thumb stroked across her bruising cheekbone, but he turned back to face their bane.

"You cannot think that this will bring you solace," Loki told her. "I will not let you hurt Jane…"

"Sigyn!" she howled. "That pathetic name is not her! She is your wife!"

"Stop this Nanna!" Loki berated her. "She does not remember what happened or what you did to her. I am grateful that she does not remember the depravity that you inflicted upon her. She did not deserve your wrath! You want to hurt someone, hurt me!"

"No," Jane begged as she grabbed onto to his cape. "You can't give yourself to this psycho."

"Bite your tongue foolish girl!" the goddess shouted and fired at them.

Loki conjured his own staff to come to his hand, a vicious wand with a large blue orb glowing amongst two sharpened blades. He put it up in order to block and swing the blast from Nanna away.

The widow fired again and again, but he blocked one and took a hit to his abdomen.

"Loki!" she cried as he dropped to a knee.

"I'm fine," he groaned. "My armor and immortality will protect us."

He fired back at Nanna and she was able to block and deflect everything from him as well.

This was not going to be easy for him and having to block her from harm was not making it better.

"Go Jane!" he shouted.

"Not without…" she protested.

"Listen to me!" he shouted. "I need you to go! Get out of here!"

"What about you?"

"Just go!"

Loki fired again and Jane used the distraction to blaze to her left for an alley.

* * *

Jane was out of sight within moments.

Now he was free to fight the way he wanted to.

Loki released the monster within, becoming the Frost Giant he was and feeling the power course through his veins. His skin ran cold and blue, his eyes red with blood, and teeth gritted to where nothing could pass through them.

At least his beloved was out of harm's way.

"Ah, the monster reveals himself," Nanna spoke in anxious joy. It was as if she wanted this to happen.

"Be careful goddess," he said. "This monster is one that you cannot chase away with the light."

Loki charged toward her. He longed for battle and now he was finally going to get it.

* * *

Jane ran down the alley, veered to the right down a much narrow passage, and found that she wound up in an alcove of several balconies and apartment laundry lines.

It was a dead end.

She would have to double back and go right so she could keep...wait a damn minute, she thought. She was supposed to be this great goddess after all. Why should she be running?

Nanna was here for her. She needed to protect her family and most importantly, she needed to save her husband.

There was a growling noise that echoed before she was able to return to the alley. Something was nearby.

Jane turned and then suddenly there was darkness.

* * *

The staff and gauntlet mounted sword met time and time again. Slicing and swiping, blocking, releasing short energy bursts, and back to close combat.

The Frost Giant was efficient in battle, Nanna thought. He was not going to simply lie down and be defeated or use his brutality as a Jotun to overwhelm and drain him.

Loki swiped inward and she bent backwards to avoid it.

She went low, but he sprung over it.

He struck her with an energy charm from his hand and she went to the ground.

"An excellent maneuver Prince Loki," she commented him. "You are not all lies and deceit after all."

"I have only begun Nanna," he told her. "You will never harm my beloved again."

In her mind, she heard her cohort speak to her. _I have your quarry_. _End this battle now._

"I do apologize Prince Loki, but you have bested me," she played him. "Till we meet again."

She used a smoke charm to vanish and return to where she would plan her neck move.

* * *

Loki stood there, bewildered at what just transpired. Why would Nanna who seemingly had the upper-hand suddenly cease and desist her battle with him?

She seemed bound and determined to do battle with him.

Unless, their battle was a diversion.

"Jane!" her aunt howled for his wife.

No, he thought. There must have been...someone else working with Nanna.

He raced into the alley where he had seen her leave. Following the essence of her aura, he followed it down a narrow passageway to a dead end.

Nothing was there.

The sun reflected off a gold and green object in the middle of the alcove.

It was the ring he had just given her.

Loki bent down to examine it, seeing there was a small amount of blood on the inside.

He took the ring into his palm, squeezing it tightly to where if he wanted, he could smash the gem treasure.

Slowly, he returned to the main street and was met by the eyes of the people that cared for Jane more than he did: the Hastings family.

"Did you find her?" her aunt asked.

"Rebekah, we do not know who or what he is?" her uncle blurted out. "He could be behind this."

"I have no desire to harm your niece whatsoever," he answered their inquiries. "I in fact am the one that you were to meet today."

Everyone was in shock. It suddenly drew together that he was the one from the party and the one that was going to meet them at lunch.

He opened his palm and showed the ring. "She was wearing this, was she not?" he asked.

"She was staring at intently," Rebekah said. "Where is she?"

"That I cannot answer, but we need to find..."

Loki could not finish his sentence.

"What is wrong?" Rebekah asked.

He stared down to the wound from Nanna's first shot that he had sustained in her initial attack. It had not healed in the way that he thought it would.

Blood covered his fingers.

His legs gave way as did his consciousness.

* * *

Michael and Rebekah Hastings were there to catch the alien being as he fell to the ground.

They carefully lied him on the ground, Rebekah cradling his head until it was flat on the ground. She pulled off the helmet and used her jacket as a supportive pillow.

Going right into doctor mode, she was checking the wound.

"It's a level three burn," she surmised.

"Mom, should you really be touching that," her daughter asked.

"He stood before your cousin defending her life," she replied. "I think that he deserves a little aid don't you think? Get me something that I can put over this; to hold in the blood."

"What?" Chris asked.

"Something...blood...now!"

He went to the cafe and stole a tablecloth. Returning with it, she used it as a compress to keep the blood inside the wound.

"Chuck," Michael called for the guard. "Chuck, go get the car."

"Sir, I have to advise against this until the specialists arrive," the secret service agent told him.

"Get the car or I will go and get it myself," Michael ordered.

The agent did as he was told and he went back to helping.

They carefully lifted up the being and put him into the back area of the Explorer with his head still on Rebekah's lap.

They needed to get him well, if they were going to locate Jane.

* * *

_Oh no! Jane is missing and Loki has been hurt...what will happen? Review to find out!_


	20. Chapter 19 She was mine before you

_For you Thor lovers out there, he's back...but this chapter is about to get interesting. It is a shortie, but a goodie. I hope you enjoy it!_

_Music:_  
**Thor poking around **- "Long Live Jesse" from Queen of the Damned soundtrack  
**Loki recovers** - "Finale" from Tron: Legacy

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen - She was mine before you**

The house was empty of people, but Thor felt as though Jane was all around him. Her essence, her aura was everywhere.

He walked calmly through the narrow tunneled passage and found his way into the eating chamber. It was clean and untouched.

The next room he searched was a gathering space. Numerous couches had blankets and pillows littering them, indicating that people had been sleeping here very recently.

Portions, or what he learned were called "snacks" were next to some of the blankets.

If the family had been sleeping here recently, they had not been gone long.

On the table, he noticed a picture of Jane graduating from her studies. It was a picture with the entire family that she had and he was unaware of them. Everyone huddled around her, either acting bizarre and silly or straight and narrow.

There was also a picture of three children playing in a pile leaves. From the children, two light haired children and one with dark locks and tiny beauty marks on her cheeks, he knew this one was Jane.

Jane had been a beautiful child in her youth and it was amazing to see her evolution into today.

He set the picture display down and continued in search for her. There was a small cottage outside that was separated by a large pool. Her essence was getting stronger the closer he drew to it. He could feel her more.

Maybe Jane was over there?

There was a sound that came from the front of the house. Voices came as lights started to turn on.

"Jane," he called her name as he approached where the voices were near the front entrance.

A young woman, younger than Jane, screeched loudly. Her companion was shocked too and became defensive.

"Who are you man?" the young male asked. "What are doing in our house?"

"Easy young man," Thor calmed them. "I am Thor, son of Odin of the realm of Asgard. I am looking for a friend of mine. I searched for her and found this to be her dwelling."

"You mean..." the girl was about to say Jane's sweet name when two males were about to enter the dwelling. An older woman supported the front of someone the men were carrying over their shoulders.

His aura filled the air, causing intense anger and hatred to rise within him.

What made it stung more was that Jane's essence was all around him as well.

"Who are you?" one of the men asked.

But that was when Loki's green eyes lifted to meet his own.

"Thor," his brother groaned.

"Loki," he growled.

Something overtook him. Though he was happy to see his brother had survived his fall through the wormhole, the fact that his and Jane's energies overlapped and mixed together brought out a monster within.

Thor grabbed Loki by his tunic lapels and brought them face-to-face.

"Where is she?" he demanded to know.

The people were screaming in shock or fear. The adults were asking him to release his brother.

"I don't know," Loki barely got the words out of his lips.

"Liar!" And Thor hit Loki hard enough that he went down the passage and shattered through the wood and glass doors to the outside.

His anger called for battle and his brother would feel the pain he now felt.

* * *

Loki fell backward to the ground, crashing through the patio doors and into the chairs on the ledge. Once he was able to prevent himself from falling into the pool water, he assessed his cheek where his brother had taken a clear swing at him.

But Thor was not done yet and jumped on him. He tried rolling away, but his elder brother got his hands around his throat.

Loki used a leg to kick him off, sending Thor into the furniture. Now he could breathe.

"Give me a moment to explain," he begged, struggling to get to his feet.

"What is there to explain Loki?" Thor shouted. "I am going to destroy you for ever putting your hands on Jane."

He was rammed hard into his already wounded side, causing extreme stress upon his body.

"She was my wife before she was your mortal friend Jane!" he hissed. "She was mine to begin with!"

He charged at him, ramming him into the wall.

Thor charged a knee into his side, his flesh tearing beyond the burn from Nanna's attack. He was clearly using his wounded midsection to his advantage.

"How dare you lie to save yourself?" his brother snarled. "She is not Sigyn. You got her killed."

"She is Sigyn!" Loki shouted. "I have seen it, she has seen it, and now Nanna has restored that last part of her memories."

Loki used an energy bolt and blasted him back.

"Stop it!" Rebekah begged of them.

Thor came for him again, but he avoided another swing of his arm. His brother's hand shattered the brick were it struck.

Before he knew it, Michael had his and his son's hands holding Thor back while Lady Hastings forced him up against the wall. "Your infighting is not going to help us get my niece back! Now the two of you are going to behave and now, if not for my Janie's sake, at least for the survival of my home."

They locked eyes with another.

"Deal?" Jane's aunt demanded of them.

"With pleasure," he replied.

Thor stopped fighting off his repressors.

"I am doing this for Jane," his brother said. "Not for you."

* * *

_I know it is short, but at least the brothers are working out their issues. Please review!_


	21. Chapter 20 Snuff

_We circle around to Jane and back again to Loki, but it is a good one. _

Music:  
**Jane held hostage / memory recall** - "Walk in the air" on Queen of the Damned  
**Brothers talk** - "Father and Son" from Tron: Legacy or "Maharet" from Queen of the Damned

* * *

**Chapter Twenty - Snuff**

Her eyes snapped opened in panic as she took a gasping breath.

Fear ran through her body as Jane searched around for where she was. From what she could discern, she was in a large warehouse facility that apparently had been closed for some time.

She tried moving her hands, but found it impossible. Her arms were bowed to where her hands were above her head.

Her waist was chained to whatever it was she was secured to and her ankles were tied down with the same metal links.

It was dark out so she had been unconscious for some time.

That means that Loki had not found her or did not know where to look.

This location where she was stashed was smelly. A dump or...no. This was a fishy smell.

She was near the water or near a fish market.

Jane calmed her mind down and tried to use her mental link ability, the one that Loki had been using with to talk to her. Hopefully, he was listening for her or trying to sense her.

With this smell, how could anyone sense her outside of it?

A large creaking noise emanated from nearby so she reclosed her eyes to make it look like she was still out.

* * *

Calindor walked close behind the Asgardian deity Nanna as they entered the dilapidated building that they were using to hide in.

It was not the caliber of fortress that he was used to, but the goddess insisted that this was the safest place for them. The environment would not allow his prey to locate his bride or them until they wanted him too.

She also used some magic charms to mask any attempt at magic being detected.

A little overprotection, but they were ready for him to arrive.

He arrived to the body of the precious mortal that was tied down to a metal edifice that she had constructed. Nanna insisted that all this planning was going to be worth it.

Loki's flame would be extinguished and if they were lucky, so would this Sigyn, whom Nanna claimed was in the body of this mortal.

Calindor stroked a hand down this mortal's cheek, watching how it glided very so smoothly. Her hair was soft and delicate, like her life.

"What is it about you my dear?" he spoke to the body. "What is it that drives my Frost Giant brother to want to spare you? You are weak, pathetic, and mortal."

"Oh my dear demon," Nanna approached where he stood ever so delicately. "She is so much more than that. This mortal shell only houses what she capable of being. She in fact is a goddess herself; reborn in this form."

She reached and grabbed a powerful grasp of the mortal's chin.

The mortal was awake the whole time, listening to him.

Her blazing brown eyes, glistening with tears looked up at the woman and panned back to him.

"Aren't you my dear?" Nanna asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" the mortal asked. "Why don't you fill in the gaps before you snuff me?"

"Snuff you?" Calindor asked.

"A pathetic Midgardian term," the goddess clarified. "She means to tell her before we kill her."

Nanna released her. "You no doubt have some knowledge as to what happened to you. Otherwise, Loki would have no other reason than to kill you." She stepped away. "It was many times ago. My beloved Baldur Odinson, the golden Prince of Asgard...and the love of my eternity. His mother foresaw his demise and swore to protect him against every weapon of man and god. He was invulnerable against everything," she continued in her narrative before she turned and faced them. "Until your devil of a husband _had _to find the one thing that Lady Frigga did not spare him from."

"Mistletoe," the mortal whispered.

So Nanna was right. This mortal knew a little more than she claimed to know.

"Very good my dear," Nanna said. "I held my beloved Baldur in my arms, watching him die before me. Then they found Hodr and he confessed that your husband," she started to yell and shout, "had tricked him into killing my love." The goddess grabbed a fistful of her hair to force her to look into her eyes. "Your husband wanted everyone to suffer, simply because you finally told him enough was enough."

"I don't remember," the mortal cried, tears streaming away from her eyes. "These memories feel unnatural to me. Like they are someone else's memories downloaded into me. If I am this goddess as you claim me to be..."

Nanna struck her across the face. "You are her," she growled, "and your darling husband will soon come and he will watch you die; just before I take his life." The deity walked away.

"That was not part of our arrangement," Calindor said. "Killing a mortal is against Odin's laws. You will send down the wrath of Asgard upon my people."

She turned to face him. "Calindor, son of Canpelor, you will have the head of Loki Laufeyson to take back to your people," she told him. "I will cleave it from his shoulders. And you, my precious Sigyn will have your hands tied to where you cannot stop me."

The mortal struggled to be free.

"No one shall know happiness as I grieve," Nanna told them at a near whisper. "It is almost sad, Jane," she called the mortal by her Earth name, "that you will die without knowing truly what a legacy of tragedy you left behind. My heart to be broken until Ragnarok, all because your hellspawn demon of a husband tore mine from my chest. When he was condemned to that rock..."

* * *

_Hastings Residence_

"When I had been condemned to the rock," Loki was explaining the tale to the family, "was the first time that I felt fear rise within me. I begged to be released. I surmised that Sigyn would use this time to flee from me at last. I would have desired anything to be away from what I had done to her." He took in a breath. "For whatever reason, she stayed with me. She held the bowl over my head and kept the venom from reaching me, risking her own life for mine."

"That's our Jane," her uncle said. "Selfless to the core."

"Unlike her husband," Thor added in.

Rebekah snapped her fingers and pointed at him; a voiceless motion for him to be silent.

"Sigyn, or Jane as she known by here, she stayed with me. Day in and day out, she kept the venom from me; only leaving to empty the bowl and return. It was the first time that I actually accept that she did love me and I grew to love her. Initially I used Sigyn to gain leverage. To be the one prince who was married which would put me ahead for the throne over my first-born brother. I did not love her."

"Then why did she stay?" her son asked.

"She stayed because she believed in the vows of marriage and commitment," Loki explained. "She believed it to be sacred, the rites of marriage. If she left me, she would be no good to anyone else. Because of that, Thor's father Lord Odin made Sigyn, the goddess of marriage, commitment, and fidelity. I was never loyal to her. I had several children outside of our marriage, but Sigyn gave birth to our two sons."

"Great. More cousins to add to our dysfunctional family," Rachael filtered in.

"They're dead," Thor told them.

"Not Vali," Loki told him. "He has chosen to live in isolation in the dark woods with the elves."

"But he may as well be dead," the brother came back at him. "If he comes near the castle gates, he is ordered to be executed on sight."

"Only because he was driven to kill my son Narvi," Loki shouted back.

Her husband got up and separated the brothers before they came to blows against one another. "Enough," Michael ordered. "Whatever you all did in your _realm_, there is still the matter of my niece being missing and in the hands of maniac dead goddess and frost demons. Could we focus on that for a few minutes?"

"With pleasure," the thunder god responded.

Loki took a seat next to her on the arm.

"Here's what I am confused about," Chris spoke out. "How did you escape the rock if your son's body parts were used to tie you down?"

"My father could feel the rapid fluctuations in quakes upon your world," Thor explained. "Loki's pain and cries would cause Midgard to tremble and crack around you. It was not to last long. Without Sigyn to hold the bowl, Midgard nearly tore itself to pieces.

"He went to the altar and that was where we found a lot of blood," his brother explained the day that Sigyn went missing; presumed dead.

Loki pictured his father, astride Sleipnir and Thor upon his horse riding to the mountain where he was tied down. His screams filled his ears as the serpent's venom struck against his mouth and body as he tried to escape it.

Odin had come to his side and saw that he was writhing in pain.

_Release him_, Odin ordered.

Once the entrails had been disintegrated, Loki slithered down the rocks to the ground. He had never been so relived in all his life.

Thor lifted him up vertical and forced him to look upon him.

_Where is Sigyn Loki?_ his brother asked.

He did not know and was too weak to even attempt an answer, let alone provide the correct one.

He had been taken to his father's steed (who also was an act of his mischievous ways) and saw the blood that covered the ground.

Though in a weakened physical state, his heart was the most painful.

* * *

_Nanna's fort_

Jane listened to the end of Nanna's tale, feeling heartbreak and sorrow for what she had been through. However, it did not give her an excuse for all the evil that she was committing to make herself feel better.

"So now I will destroy your husband, by allowing him to watch you die before his eyes," Nanna told her.

"You are sick and twisted lady," she told her. "Do you think that Loki is going to one, allow me to be killed or two, allow you to live if you do."

"It is not a matter of if, my dear," the goddess told her. "A matter of when and how. I stabbed you once and you were reborn. I am going to make sure that you do not speak or get the chance to speak so you are reborn again."

"I do not know what I did to be reborn in this mortal body," she shouted. "Do you think that I would have wanted to be reborn as a mortal? Not likely. I have no doubt that Loki has figured this out and is probably on his way here to kick your..."

Nanna struck her across the face with her fist.

Jane flexed her sore jaw and turned back to face the demented woman. "Why don't you untie me and let me show you what I can do?" she requested, anger in her voice.

Nanna smirked. "You lack the stomach to kill," she said as a long blade appeared from the gauntlet on her bracer.

She then took that blade and whipped around...slicing it across the neck of the giant behind her.

The Frost Giant was in shock at the action, but did not get to retaliate as his head flopped off his shoulders and to the stone ground. The body soon collapsed beside it.

She gasped in shock.

But now Jane knew that her fate was in her hand. "Your husband destroyed mine. Now I will use your death to destroy him," Nanna said before she walked away from her. "Enjoy your last few moments of your mortal life," she called to her while leaving.

She knew she either needed to contact Loki through her powers, remember and use what magical abilities she had, or pray to Loki that he got to her...and fast.

* * *

**Hastings** **Residence**

The Asgardian Princes Loki and Thor were sitting outside at the pool's edge.

"So you came here, even though you were given the crown as King of Jotunheim," Thor was rambling, "to open a portal to Asgard and bring an army through to destroy the one home you have known? To punish the one family that accepted you for whom you were? Our father released you from the rock after Sigyn's murder and this is how you repay him?"

He could see in Loki's face that he felt shame.

They were standing on the patio before the pool. Loki was walking delicately away before he turned to face him.

"What do you hope to gain from taking the woman that I care for and destroying Asgard?" he asked him.

His brother was still silent.

"Answer me!" he shouted.

"Nothing," he lightly replied. "I will have gained nothing. In a war to come against Asgard, more Jotuns will die, Jane would be killed in the crossfire, and the nine realms will continue to fear and hate me. I could not live with myself anymore." Loki turned to face him. "I have just learned what it means to have someone who loves you, and with Odin as my witness, I will fight for that feeling."

Thor was stunned. His brother was in love with Jane.

"If you loved Sigyn that much before, why didn't you tell her?"

"Because back then, that was a different me. A power craving, attention seeking, uncontrollable façade of a man. I may have come here to take Jane back to Jotunheim and to open a portal. Now all I want is for her to come and be with me. To love me and I to love her for all eternity."

He was speechless. They both loved this woman for completely different reasons and would lay down their lives for her.

Thor came and put a hand at the back of his head.

Loki looked up into his eyes.

"Before we can begin the fight _for_ her, we must have something to fight over," he told him. "We need to find her."

And his brother smiled and covered his hand with his own.

The rest of Jane Foster's family came out to the deck and join them.

"We want to help," Michael Matthewson told them. "As a senator, I have some authority to where we can intensify the search for her."

"Thank you Son of Matthew," Thor said to Jane's uncle. "It is the will of Odin Allfather that we find Jane and..."

Loki cried out in a sudden pain while dropping to his knees.

Jane's aunt went to him as he held his head.

"What is it Loki?"

"You mean besides his acting," the younger Hastings female blurted out.

"Jane," Loki said her precious name. "I think...oh god, she's screaming."

Now he had his confirmation. If the mind-link between Loki and Jane was connected, there was no doubt that Jane was Sigyn.

Thor came to his brother and knelt down. "Find her brother," he begged of him. "You have the strongest connection to her. You can find her."

"Her eyes are closed. I cannot."

"Ask her to open them. Tell her that you are coming Loki," Rebekah begged him. "You can do this son."

Loki spoke into his mind. He had to do it while the connection was at its strongest in order to establish where she was being held.

_Jane, Jane my darling. I need you to calm down. Please open your eyes and let me see. Show me where to come._

Their minds became linked and he was able to see a few things.

Jane was being carried on a large object. She looked over and he could see the Frost Giants that did this.

He could see Nanna was leading them.

_Look around dearest. _

Jane turned her head a couple of times and he saw water and a large ruined structure.

The only word he could see Trinity.

Jane was put down and she was struck across the head.

The connection was broken.

"It's done," he told them.

"What did you see?" Rebekah asked.

"Water, the ocean I think," he said. "I also saw a dilapidated building and the word "trinity." Does that mean anything?"

"Trinity," Jane's aunt repeated the word. "Down by the oceanfront."

"There are not a lot of places down by the waterfront that are abandoned," Christopher told them.

"Wait," she said. "Michael is there not an old church that closed down by the waterfront...Trinity Baptist, I think it was called."

"Yeah, but I thought it burned down?" Michael said.

"No, you are both wrong," Chris said. "It was turned into a fishing emporium after the fire. It's like right on the waterfront. They did baptisms right there in the water."

"How far is this place?" his brother asked.

"At least two hours," her uncle told them and started dialing on a portable device in his hand. "This is Senator Michael Hastings. I need local LEOs to the old Trinity Fish Market down at the waterfront. My niece is there and she has been abducted."

"No," Loki told him. "If you send in your soldiers, Nanna could kill Jane."

"Is that not her intention all along?" Chris asked. "She wants to kill my cousin no matter what."

"But she could expedite her plans or cause Jane even greater harm," Thor interrupted him. "No, one human life taken is one too many, in the almighty eye of Odin."

He called forth his entire golden armor out of limbo and the helmet from inside the pool house. It indeed felt uplifting to be in his full glory once again.

From his hand, the staff appeared with a glowing blue object within it. Its presence startled Jane's mortal family, but Loki was ready for a battle.

He walked up to Rebekah whom, for all intents and purposes, was Jane's mother after she lost her birth-parents.

Loki took her hands in his; resting his staff into the space at his elbow.

"When I find Jane," he said as they locked eyes, "I swear on my life I will return her to you."

Rebekah put a hand to his cheek underneath the metal of his helmet. Her thumb smoothed his cheekbone. "You do not need to do that," she told him. "I have seen what you did for her, how you look at her, the way you feel for her. She is yours. All I ask is that you take care of my precious Janie and never break her heart."

A tear slipped down his cheek. "You have my word," he told her before taking her tightly into his arms.

He released her before leaping into the air to save the woman he loved.

"Are you coming brother?" he called down to Thor.

Thor did spring into the air to join him.

Now, it was time to save the woman they loved.

* * *

_It's Loki and Thor to the rescue! Do not forget to review because the battle is going to be EPIC!_


	22. Chapter 21 Losing my faith

_Couple of things. I have been alerted that I am not showing up under "Thor" fanfictions. I will investigate further. _

_Second, I am loving all the new subscribers to this story. I wish it did not have to end, but it is coming close. I hope that you continue to enjoy this story. The battle sequence is coming up and it is going to get dark really fast. I apologize in advance if you hate me, but if you have been with me long enough, you know I change things on a whim.  
_

_For her radiant reviews, this chapter is devoted to LilTinyBee.  
_

_**Music**  
_

_**Jane over the water and Loki and Thor flying **- "Red Ledger" from The Avengers  
**Loki goes to rescue Jane and his transformation** - "Seeing, not believing" from Avengers  
**Frigga's request** - "Queen of the Damned" from Queen of the Damned_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-one - Losing my faith**

Jane's contraption was attached to a chain and she was swung out over the water. It was dark and even with the moonlight shining above, she could not see how deep it was.

So her fate was to be drowned while Nanna and the ice giants watched her sink to the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay.

She continued to struggle to free her feet and wrists from the chains that held her to the large metal scrap pieces.

"This is murder of an innocent!" she shouted. "You won't get away this!"

"Do not worry deary," Nanna spoke to her. "The fish will finish off what is left of you...and without a way of speaking to have yourself reincarnated, Loki will finally be alone and die of heartbreak."

The goddess turned to the giants. "See her fate," she called to them. "See how her treachery of caring for the man who has killed your leader. Loki is responsible for the death of your king and now Calindor," she lied to them.

But Jane was too busy worrying about getting loose than correcting Nanna. She had minutes...unless supernatural help was on the way.

Nanna turned back to her and approached the lever that would release the crane hook that held her there. "Let's see if you can say any resurrection chants when you are choking on water trying to conserve your precious air," she said.

* * *

Asgardian Princes Loki and Thor glided through the air as they approached the oceanfront where Jane's family had said that this area was where she was being held. However they were going based off of Jane's fractured visions that she was able to show them.

They did not know where to start looking.

"Thor," Loki spoke to him. "Why is Odin choosing to help me; after everything I have done to dishonor him?"

"Because the death of one innocent is one too many," his fellow prince told him. "You may not be my blood, but you are still a part of my family. You can be a member of our family even if you are not an Odinson."

Loki looked away from Thor and finally was able to feel Jane.

"I see her!" he shouted and plummeted toward the ground.

"Loki, wait!" he cried out and went to join him.

Thor landed upon the dock with his brother, staring at the small infantry of Frost Giants who stayed guard before Nanna.

His former sister-in-law had her hands upon an object that lead to a large device that had his beloved suspended over the water.

"Loki!" Jane called out for him.

It broke his heart that she called for him first, but knew that this was not the time for them right now.

"In the name of Odin Allfather," Thor shouted at his highest voice, "I command you to release the mortal Jane Foster from your captivity and to return with us to Asgard."

"I will do no such thing Thunder God," Nanna replied, gripping the lever tighter.

"You cannot do this Nanna," he challenged her. "To kill Jane, or if she is indeed Sigyn a goddess of Asgard, is of the highest treason. It will mean death for you. You will never see Baldur again."

"I care not for the Allfather's wrath," she answered. "Loki's suffering must endure."

"Stop this Nanna!" Loki shouted. "You kill her, I will see to it that you die _very very_ slowly."

"Then I guess you had better begin your vengeance," she said and pulled the handle down.

Her screams filled the air.

"Jane!" Thor cried as the hook released her prison and sent her sinking into the fluid darkness.

"Giants, avenge your commander," Nanna ordered. "Destroy them both!"

The Jotuns attacked them with their icy weapons.

"Loki, go!" Thor shouted as he began the attack against the demons.

* * *

The mischief master tried to run for the water, but was suddenly cut off however by Nanna.

"I think not," she told him. "You and I are going to finish this."

"Very well," he replied, releasing his staff and allowing it to fall to the ground. "If Jane is dead, I will not fight back."

"Makes no difference to me," she said and went to stab him through the abdomen.

Her blade pierced through him, but it was too simple. There was no pain, no recoil, no shock, no dismay, and importantly, no blood.

Loki looked down at her weapon and then back to her.

"You really should educate yourself on your enemy before engaging in battle against them," he said.

Suddenly, a body flew through the apparition over their heads and dove into the water.

Nanna howled in anger that she had been deceived.

* * *

Loki crashed into the water, using his glowing hands as light to find his way to Jane as she sank. It was not hard to follow the trail of bubbles that raced to the surface as she sunk down to the ground.

He could see Jane as she struggled to get free from the edifice that held her against her will.

Shouting her name, unable to hear his own voice, he plunged downward to get to her.

Jane looked to him, bubbles of her precious breath leaving her body.

He put his hands on the metal structure and tried to pull it back to the surface. However, it was too heavy for him to lift with Jane's body secured to it.

A new plan: free her from it.

As they fell toward the ocean floor, Loki moved to free her hands. They were tightly secured with metal bars around her wrists. He pulled and yanked as hard as he could to free her.

Jane struggled to move her wrists so to try and help.

When her hands would not be released, he moved to her waist and was able to undo the lock that held the chain around her.

Loki moved to her ankles and slipped them out of the contortion that secured her.

Returning back to the one part that he had struggled with, he noticed that Jane was growing very still. She was not struggling to get free anymore.

He called her name, begging her to be alive.

Her eyes slowly closed.

No, he thought. No. She was not dead.

"No," he cried out in the water and was shaking her body.

Nothing.

His beloved wife was gone...again.

Loki moved and planted a strong air-filled kiss hoping to give her life once more.

But Jane did not respond. She simply floated as she still hung off the cuffs on her wrists.

His head dropped while his hands grasped the metal tightly. He used so much strength that his hands crushed, leaving finger indentations.

When he reopened his eyes, they were black and red.

His body began to morph into the frost giant demon that he was born to be. His fingers spouted talons as bones protruded across the tops of his hands. The indentations and imperfections came forth upon his face.

Mixed with his longer mane, spiny black appendages pierced through his skull; causing him great pain.

Loki trembled with rage as his eyes glowed with hate.

He kissed her one last time and looked up the altered moonlight, knowing that she was still up there.

With his teeth gritted tightly, Loki used the ocean surface to spring up through the resisting waters to break the surface.

He had a date with his destiny...one he vowed to keep.

His strong feet landed on the wooden dock where his illusion had once been, but Nanna still awaited his return; almost expecting it.

While crouched, Loki found that his scepter was near. He took it into his demonic grasp and wrenched tightly.

Then he stood vertical, locking eyes with the woman who had killed his wife.

"At last," Nanna spoke to him. "You have embraced what you are."

"You have killed my wife for the final time Nanna," Loki told her, the orb in his scepter glowing bright. "I have nothing to live for anymore. So now I will take your life, not only for my precious Jane but for personal satisfaction."

"On that, at least we both agree," she responded, snapping her hand down to release her gauntlet's blade. "Shall we?"

Loki could feel the energy surge through him. Though he hated and loathed his inner being's form, the power that raced and filled his body could only be compared to the heartbreak that overcame him.

The only thing that would cure this pain was Nanna's blood on his hands...or if it came to it, his own death.

"_Sigyn_," he spoke in prayer in his mind, "_pave the way for I am coming. Coming to be with you forever._"

And he charged into the heat of battle.

* * *

_Asgard_

From the looking glass that was hanging upon the wall of grand hall where the family often shared their meals with their boys or with friends and family, Lady Frigga clinched her hands around her mouth; in despair at the events happening on Midgard.

Her son, her precious baby boy Loki had embraced the darkest side of his soul. The Jotun blood in him surged and begged for battle.

This destroyed her as she was forced to watch Loki and Nanna's final battle to commence. Only one of them would survive. She knew who she wanted to live, but then again could not take sides.

Loki had still done terrible things in his past.

However, Frigga had been watching her son on his road to redemption. Finding Sigyn was a turning point in his life. She had brought about a change in him.

Sigyn had begun to heal his darkness and to bring him back from destruction.

But now if Loki was this way, Sigyn must have perished.

Her husband arrived to the chamber and she approached him; clenching a tight hold of his cape in front of him.

"Husband," she begged, "we are about to lose everything. Nanna has killed Sigyn and now Loki has become the frost giant that we strove to liberate him from. He is walking further down a path in which no one will be able to save him.

"You must intervene," Frigga asked him.

"I cannot my love," Odin replied as he looked to the looking glass.

"Why can you not?" she cried. "Sigyn had done the impossible. She had him realize that he was a good man again. If you love your sons, all three of them, you will intervene."

"Loki has defied the gods, the Aesir, and us on many occasions," she was reminded. "In killing Baldur, he crossed that line. Now he must redeem himself."

"And with Sigyn gone," she cried, "how do you expect him to recover from this?"

Odin stared into the battle and watched as Loki unleashed a herald of magic that chilled her to the core.

"Loki can find that redemption again," he told her. "He will pull himself back again. Do not weep my loving wife. There is but one card left to play." He had a card in his fingers, but she could not see the image.

Frigga took the card and stared upon the image.

She then looked to him and back to the mirror.

Was it all possible?

* * *

_* If this were a tarot card (not that I endorse them at all), what did Frigga see? Please review and the next chapter will be up soon, I promise...pending Loki does not distract me._


	23. Chapter 22 Acceptance

_Oh I had such a surgviews reviews and subscribers, I had to post this next chapter!_

_O__K, I told you that I change things. This scene went though a couple of rewrites and I think that I got it down to where I am pleased with it. I hope you enjoy and please do not forget to review._

_**Music**  
_

_**Hela and her spell** - "Air Lestat" from Queen of the Damned  
_**_Two spirits joined_**_- "Overture" from Tron: Legacy  
**A goddess returns** - "Thor" from Iron Man 2  
_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-two - Acceptance**

The water was still as Hela, the goddess of the underworld approached. Her magical cloak snagged on the broken wood boards, but it glided free. She stood upon the rickety edge, looking down as the moon sparkled and reflected off the dark water.

Nothing broke the pristine surface. There was no life within its dark depths.

How would she retrieve the body of the mortal Jane Foster so her enchantment would work? There was no way of reaching her.

Taking the glowing ball of mist into her bone hand from the pocket of her cloak, Hela stared into the enchantment that she had created. It was so powerful that even Odin himself would be shamed by its enormous purpose. She held it extended over the water, cupped into both of her hands.

"My dear," she spoke to the powerful spell. "Give her power...give her life once more."

And she opened her cradle, allowing the ball to drop into the water. She tried to guide it into the abyss; hoping it would find its way into her stepmother's body.

* * *

Jane Foster's body lied at the bottom of the pier, the object securing her body had fallen over so it lied flat upon the sandy shore.

There was no more breath. Feeling no longer in her limbs.

She had stopped fighting, closed her eyes and faded away.

Her body was numb and still, but Jane was walking.

Wherever she was, there were clouds that gathered near her feet and illuminated passages that surrounded her.

Was this heaven? Was this where she was going to be going? Would one way be the only way that she could or would go?

She walked very calmly, seeing if someone was going to point the way as to where she should go.

"Jane," a voice called out her. It echoed, but was soft and gentle.

She searched for the voice's origin. One of the doorways glowed brightly and someone stepped out of the smoky opening.

"Mom?" she asked the being that was walking toward her. She wore a pale ivory gown adorned with golden armaments.

This was not her mother. The dark brown ringlets that filled her mane enveloped her face, held down by a golden circlet that wrapped her forehead.

The face had two beauty marks on each cheek with tan colored eyes staring back at her.

It was the mirror image of herself in Asgardian / goddess attire.

The mirage blinked her eyes softly several times as each of them scanned one another.

"Wait, are you..." Jane started speaking.

"Yes child, I am you," her voice, soft yet powerful. "I am Sigyn, goddess of fidelity and marriage. I am the one that joined with your soul so I could survive."

Jane reached out and touched her face, feeling that it had the same texture, the same heat, the same everything. She was touching a clone of herself.

"When I was killed Jane, by the evil Nanna," Sigyn explained, "I did not want to die and leave Loki behind. I begged for solace and help, but my cries went unheard. So I prayed that my spirit would one day find my prince, Loki, so we could be together forever.

"I did not know that my prayer was an incantation," the goddess past form of herself said, walking out before her. "I was prepared to die, but for some reason, once I fell asleep, I thought that it was over. But suddenly eyes were reopened. I was being born again. Then I knew that I must have transported across the realms and my soul was put into the next life to be born."

"Me," Jane replied.

"Yes," she answered.

"So why me? Why did you pick me?"

"I did not. I do not know where I would have finished out my days. Once I realized that I would be mortal at least for a short time, I was afraid. Mortals are weak and fragile. That is why since you were in that accident the second time, your mind has become weak and our memories are merging. It is why Loki was able to help you receive your memories during his spell. You were meant to become me. If you are able to accept this and believe in who and what you are and meant to become, we will both be at peace. You and I are one in the same person who must remember why we are fighting to stay alive."

Echoes of pain were heard.

"Loki," they both said in unison, and both looked to the other.

"You must save him," Sigyn asked. "He has so much potential and does not deserve this fate. You must return to your body and stop Nanna before we are both lost forever."

"But I am no warrior," Jane told her. "I do not know the slightest about fighting off an Asgardian warrior."

Her past self looked to her.

"There might be away," she said.

"How?"

"Now is the time to accept who you are," she told her. "It is time that we were joined together. Your physical form and intelligence along with my abilities should be enough to silence Nanna. To send her back to Asgard in disgrace. Our souls have been incomplete for so long. It is time that we were healed."

Sigyn offered her hands and arms facing upward. "If you trust in me and who you are destined to become, we can do this," herself told her.

Jane was not comfortable with giving up her own skin, but Sigyn was right. She had the intelligence to outsmart her attacker and Sigyn had abilities to finish the widowing warrior. If she and Loki were meant to be together, this was the way to do it.

"Will I remember everything that I have been through, here on Earth?" she asked.

"I would dare not take those memories from you," her goddess form told her.

Jane laid her hands and arms upon hers. Each took a powerful grasp on the other at their elbows.

"By all the power invested within my soul," Sigyn chanted. "Let us be partners for all eternity."

Jane's body slowly began to dissolve into a glowing green aura while Sigyn's body did the same, becoming a golden misty aura.

Their auras began to merge toward the center of where their embodiments floated. The light grew brighter and brighter as they assembled into one.

The mist slowly solidified into one skin, still wearing the wet Midgardian attire that Jane had been wearing.

She could feel power coursing through every part, every fiber, and every function of her body.

Inside her head, memories flooded and restored themselves, abilities and strength returned, and for the first time, she felt whole.

Everything finally made sense.

Her emotions ran high as she wanted to get out of her current predicament.

She was elated at the thought of being back and to have the chance at vengeance.

_Under the ocean_

Jane's eyes fluttered deep in the ocean water.

Her hands struggled to be free from the predicament pinnacle, but with this new strength she had, it was not impossible.

Golden sparkling eyes appeared from the forced open eyelids.

And her hands snapped the metal that held her down.

Now, she had a meeting to attend.

* * *

Hela was there, staring down at where Sigyn's dead body now rested at the bottom of the bay. There would be no retrieving it, but hopefully her journey to Helheim would not be painful. She would ensure that her stepmother would be well taken care of.

Perhaps her enchantment did not reach her in time. It was such a beautiful spell to bring life back to Sigyn, but it was all for naught.

There was a bubble that popped the pristine surface.

It was natural to be curious.

Then two more bubbles.

"What in the name of..." she started to say before a circular light appeared from beneath the darkness.

The bubbles appeared in rapid formation.

Suddenly, a large tidal splashed upward as a body rose to grace the surface of the water.

Hela smiled and cheered when she saw who stood there.

It was the mortal Jane Foster. Her brown spheres appeared exhausted, but radiated a heavenly golden glow.

She was mortal no longer.

This was now her stepmother, Sigyn.

Her enchantment worked. It had reached Jane Foster and now she was Sigyn again.

Sigyn walked across the surface of the water like the deity that she was and floated to stand upon the dock where she now stood.

"Where is she?" the echoing sound of her voice asked.

"Where is whom my godd..." Hela replied.

"Where is Nanna?" the voice asked again, not making eye-contact with her.

"She is out on the grounds, but it will be impossible to stop Nanna, now that she has Calindor's troops at her disposal," Hela's childlike voice replied.

"Watch me," the voice said, not swaying or stopping their march toward the battle.

At that interaction, Hela knew she was going to busy for some time back in the Underworld.

* * *

_I told you to wait and look what I did. Jane is Sigyn again and now she is going to fight Nanna and save her man. Keep reviewing and stay tuned!_


	24. Chapter 23 Do not mess with this tispe

_Oh, my Lord, the reviews and subscriptions...wow! I am blown away. I just could not leave you hanging too long without getting to Sigyn and Nanna's fight. Enjoy it because I promise you, it will be good. To all my subbers and reviewers, this is for you!_

_**Music**  
_

_**Loki attacked **- "Abin Sur attacked" from Green Lantern  
**Goddesses talking **- "Genesis of Good and Evil" from Green Lantern  
**Loki and Thor vs. Frost giants** - "Assault" from Avengers  
**Goddess throwdown** - "One way trip" from Avengers_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-three - Don't mess with this tispe**

The battle had been fierce...however in his aching sadness, Nanna had gotten the best of him.

Loki was flung into a large marble statue and landed upon the ground. His body felt broken, weak, and unable to breathe. The once healed aggravations had been agitated once more.

Nanna came down upon him and staked her blade into his shoulder.

He howled and looked to the blade. His dark blood covered the pristine reflective surface when she retracted it from him.

"Where is your spirit Jotun?" she slithered out the words. "Where is the monster who is supposed to end the Asgardian immortal gods. You are nothing if not pathetic."

He slid down against the statue's pedestal to a heap on the ground. His blue hand became purple as he tried to hold everything in.

She sprung upon him again, but Loki whipped out two ice bolts, which sadly she deflected away.

"Let us see if we can find it, shall we?" Nanna said. Using magic, she reached with her hand and took hold of his heart, grabbing a tight vice over his soul and life-force. "Ah, there it is," Nanna said, taking great pride that she was was going withdraw every bit of energy out him. "And here I thought you did not have a soul, but I was wrong."

Breathing became painful and he knew that his end was nigh.

* * *

Thor smashed a Frost Giant to pieces from the jaw over and spun about to crush another in the chest.

That was when he saw his dead brother's wife with her hand inside Loki's body. She appeared to be using some sort of dark magic to cause him intense pain.

"No!" he howled and tried to get over to him.

More giants would not let him get his brother; either by fight or restraint.

But he would fight until his last breath as he refused to lose another member of his family; now that Jane was gone.

"Loki," he howled with the same amount of strength that he exacerbated to free himself.

* * *

Loki's breathing became painful and trying as he looked at his brother with tear-filled eyes. It would not be long before all his magic, his strength, and his soul were gone forever.

But at least that would be at peace and reunited with the one person whom he loved unconditionally.

His former sister-in-law lusted as she looked down upon him. "Say hello to your darling wife when you see her," she told him.

Nanna was grabbed and torn away from her luring crouch over him. The widow screamed in surprise as she was made to face her attacker.

Finally he was able to take in a painful breath. He was still weak, but at least now Loki would recover. His vision was able to refocus and look upon the person who had saved him. He expected it to be his brother, but shock took hold when he saw who it was.

"Say it to me yourself," a voice cut through his faltered hearing.

Jane delivered a swinging, upward blow with her right fist.

Nanna was sent flying through the air far enough away to where she could not cause them any immediate harm.

His savior stood there in her soaking wet human attire, but was anything but that. Her stringy soaked strands were longer; twirling in wet knots.

"Sigyn?" he said his wife's name.

She turned and looked to him. Everything about Jane was the same except for a golden glow that came from her eyes.

His wife had returned.

Sigyn came to his side and put a hand over the wound in his shoulder.

"I do not believe it," he spoke to her. "You're alive."

She smiled at him before and after planting a gentle kiss on his forehead; mimicking ones she had before she left to empty the venom bowl.

"It cannot be!" Nanna screamed as the villain returned to her feet. "I destroyed you on Asgard."

"Sorry to disappoint you," the voice of Sigyn came from her human identity. "Did you think you could rid this reality of me so easily? I will not go quietly this time as the last."

Both women stared at each other for dominance.

"You are not as powerful as you think you are Sigyn. You are still in a mortal's body and can be killed just as easy," Nanna told her. She snapped her hand out to extend her bladed weapon. "I will have my vengeance upon you."

"First you stab me in the back, and now you just tried to drown me Nanna...yet here I stand. Care to try once more?"

"With pleasure," her rival sneered.

Sigyn snapped open her blood covered hand that rest comfortably at her side.

Loki's scepter flew into her grasp, glowing brightly once it was secured.

"Mind if I borrow this?" she asked a little late looking at him.

"Not at all," he answered.

"Thank you," she answered and charged toward Nanna.

The Asgardian women, once Nanna had engaged against her, entered their own final melee. They swiped at one another and blasted powerful energy shots that each was able to block with ease.

The scepter and sword met, strike after strike, each woman not giving an inch of energy between them.

Loki looked up and saw that he had another problem that he needed to attend to. The Frost Giants from Calindor's army were giving Thor trouble. They were also beginning a march in their direction.

Sigyn was going to be fine in taking care of Nanna.

He would aid his brother and allow these two to battle out any differences they had.

Forcing himself back to his feet, Loki charged toward the marching forces.

* * *

Sigyn took the staff with both hands thoroughly grasped upon it to block the shot that Nanna pushed with her all her might down upon her.

She was on her knees, but used the strength in her arms to push forward.

With a sudden idea, she slid the blade toward Loki's bladed top, and used that area to spin it upward,

Nanna was mildly disoriented, but it gave Sigyn the chance to become vertical.

"Impressive Lady Sigyn," her adversary said. "You seem stronger; now that you are awakened."

"Glad that you acknowledge my return at last," she replied. "And maybe my mortal body has worked out to make me stronger."

She dove inward for another series of swipes and blocks against this woman who had caused them so much pain.

Then again, Loki had caused her pain as well.

Sigyn spun around and landed a powerful swing of the bladed end.

She could hear the air be cut, but the one that was the most satisfying was the small incision made upon Nanna's cheek. It was not deep, but it still bled across her face.

"Ooo," she stated, "that is going to leave a mark."

The widow screamed and recoiled so she could assess her injuries.

"How dare you?" Nanna shouted. "How can you slice into your fellow goddess's skin? You were never one for action or inflicting pain."

"Yes, but I have done a lot changing widow," she told her. "I may be goddess of fidelity and compassion, but I have not received my crown back yet."

Nanna stood up. "I am no longer going to take your pathetic insults and bantering of me. I will see to it you die at last!"

And the widow fury charged toward her so she grabbed onto the staff as tightly as she could.

* * *

With his hands behind his back, Loki charged two bolts of white light and whipped them toward the Frost Giant that was approaching and ready to strike down Thor; without his brother knowing it was coming.

The Jotun fell to the ground.

Thor and his eyes met, a look of sheer gratitude that he was looking out for him.

However, Loki did not see the giant coming behind him. He took a large spiked gloved fist upward; knocking him to his back.

He was in a daze and did not know where his attacker was.

"It is finally time for you to meet your fate Laufeyson," the Jotun said to him, but his mind was swirling. The voice was distorted and he was unable to truly hear it.

He feared that he was about to be killed.

There was a screeching noise to be heard as it echoed over them all. All had to slam their hands over their ears to reduce the pain brought upon them.

Shadows large and wide cast themselves from the night sky, canceling the light of the moon while hundreds of glowing green slivers looked down upon their enemies.

"I recommend to you dear sir, do not touch my father," another voice spoke over them. It was soft and youthful yet powerful and fearing. "If he dies you will answer to me in my realm."

Loki realized who this voice belonged to. He had not seen her in centuries, but with shadowy wraiths raining down from the skies and her threats against the Jotuns to save him, it could only be his daughter.

His vision finally took focus and he looked to the being who separated him the Frost Giant army. Shadowy wraiths rained down and attacked, but thseeminglsurrounded them all.

The Jotuns were stopped in their tracks.

Her black and white striped hair fluttered lightly against a cool breeze.

The hand of bone that contained very little flesh was pointed to them.

"Hela," he called her name. "Why are you here?"

"I am here to claim what was removed from Helheim without my knowledge," Hela, the guardian of the underworld, his daughter replied. "You, Frost Giants, have been deceived. My father did not kill your commander. The woman he removed from the underworld, Nanna, she betrayed him after she was rescued by him. My father did not take his life. She had Sigyn, daughter of Iwaldi in her clutches. She no longer needed your man."

"How do we know that you are not lying?" one of the minions spoke out. "You could be attempting to lure us into your ensnarement."

"Why would I trick you now?" she told them. "Eventually, you will all come to me. Why come early by trying to kill my father?"

Her speech must have gained their attention as everyone retracted and melted their weapons away.

"We want her blood," the one that attacked him before ordered.

"That is my stepmother's honor now," Hela replied. "Sigyn will take care of this. You should return to your realm...now."

The giants all communed with one another through whispers and talking.

Thor offered a hand to Loki to help him stand up.

Their new leader spoke up for the group. "We will leave this realm," he told them. "As per your request Lady Hela."

"A wise choice," Thor spoke. "Return to yours and never return here ever again."

The giants used some sort of Jotun magic or artifact in order to create a portal. It was opened and closed once their leader was the last one through.

An echoing warrior cry sounded around them.

"Jane," Loki said as he tried to walk, but dropped to a knee.

"Come my brother," Thor said, putting his arm over his shoulder. "Lets get to her...together."

Loki turned to his daughter. "Hela..."

"I have a little work to clean up here," she replied. "I will be along shortly."

The two of them departed and went to find the battle between Sigyn and Nanna.

* * *

Sigyn brought her leg up at the hip and snapped her knee upward in a quick and fluid motion that transcended a brief second.

Nanna recoiled, but swiped at her with the sword.

Using her husband's staff, she blocked the shots both low and high to keep herself alive.

It was proving to be a very useful weapon.

She spun around and clocked Nanna across the face with the non-bladed end. She did not draw blood, but the impact would cause a migraine for days.

The widow fired on her with some magic, but the staff's crystal absorbed it within.

Nanna was in disbelief as was she.

"Very cool," she said.

"How is it that weapon responds to you?" her rival said. "You are not its master, it should not respond to you."

"But I am its master. We Earthlings have a saying. Behind every good man is a better woman."

The newly returned goddess whipped the energy outward toward Nanna, but used it as a distraction to charge her. Staking the staff into the ground as her target swiped away the ball, she sprung into the air and snapped her ankles around Nanna's neck.

She smirked and snapped her head to a side.

Her ankles spun Nanna onto her back with the use of her arm strength to drop her to the ground.

Sigyn took the scepter into her hand and swung the bladed area down to come to rest against the warrior's neck.

Baldur's wife relaxed.

"And stay down bitch," she told her, finally getting the chance to catch her breath.

* * *

_Yay! Jane triumphs. It may not be over yet...oh come on! Review to find out!_


	25. Chapter 24 My faith restored

_OK, I am going to duck down and hide behind my furniture because some of you are probably going to throw something at me or your computer (please let it be a pillow) I promise, it is only bad for a bit. Please continue to review!_**  
**

_**Music**  
_

_**Sigyn and Loki's reunion** - "Red Ledger" from Avengers  
**The next section** - "Ayrie" from Love Never Dies  
**A soul restored** - "Love never dies" (if you can find it without words, but it actually sounds good with it) from Love Never Dies_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty- Four - My faith restored**

Sigyn stood very still looking down at Nanna. She wanted to make sure that Nanna did not try anything. This battle was over.

"Jane," she heard her human name call out to her.

Was she still Jane? Truthfully, what was she? What had she become? She had been this powerful Asgardian in a previous life and forced to grow up on Earth as a mortal.

Her whole life, the one she had lived for nearly thirty years, in a sense was all a lie.

And that she could never get over.

"Sigyn," another voice called out to her.

She slowly turned and faced her friends and "family." The people that were there were amazed at her use of power and energy.

It was Loki who was getting support from his brother. His frightening Jotun form still stared her down.

"Loki," she said his name.

Her mind was so confused and raw. All these thoughts were racing through her head. She had accepted that she was Sigyn, the Asgardian goddess of fidelity, compassion, and suffering, but she also was Jane Foster the daughter of James and Amelia.

Though she had accepted it, time would be needed to come to terms with it all.

"Jane," Loki said her name and she locked eyes with him. "Is that what I should call you?"

She slowly turned to face and stand apart from him.

"It is good for now," she said to him.

And Loki smiled, a face beaming that he was pleased and she began to walk toward him.

Then that face turned to dread when he saw something that she apparently did not.

"Jane! Behind you!"

* * *

Loki used what magic he had left to transport himself through time and space; putting his body in between his wife and her assailant.

Sharp and debilitating pain that struck through the leather of his abdomen, passed through his internal organs, and tip of a glowing crystal blade appeared through the middle of his abdomen. The blade had pierced through near the lower area of the spine.

He looked down, seeing the the tip of the blade covered in blood, and Jane's tear-filled sparkling eyes looking at him in disbelief.

"My...love," he said, his blood covered hand coming to her cheek before he clinched hold of her shoulder and began to fall.

"No!" she cried out and saw that Nanna had the blade in her hand, pulling it higher through his body. "No, Loki!" she howled.

She helped him go down to the ground so he would not be in pain.

Nanna shouted at her. "Now, dearest Sigyn, you will see what it is like to spend eternity alone, just as I have to."

His wife took her fist and backhanded Nanna with what strength she could being that she was holding onto him at the same moment.

Their attacker tried to come back at them, but Thor appeared. He ripped her arm higher, causing her to drop the blade to the ground.

His brother took her into his powerful grasp and smashed her into his body.

"Why do you do such evil?" his brother demanded. "Baldur has been gone for centuries. You were destined to see him again. Now you have caused chaos in the realms, created deals that you cannot pay back, and..."

"And freed our realms of the darkness known as Loki Laufeyson," Nanna interjected. "Our chaos will end with him gone. There will be no one to constantly plague our home. I hope that you are happy Sigyn," she cried out. "I have been alone since then and I will never allow you to experience happiness for what he did to my husband. Now we and all the nine realms will be free of his evil and you will watch your loving husband die in your arms; a luxury I did not get to do, but at least, you will feel the same pain that I have felt everyday since he was taken."

* * *

Sigyn held Loki on her legs as he gasped for precious breath. His eyes darted about as he tried to focus on anything but the pain in his body.

Her hands raced across his abdomen, trying to hold in the blood. The front of her shirt was becoming covered as it drained out the large space near his spine and on top of his flank.

They both were becoming coated in crimson death.

"Sigyn," he said her name.

"I am here my love," she told him, turning his face so they could see one another. "I am going nowhere."

His hands came and gathered hers within. "I want you..." Blood was no doubt in his throat and breathing was becoming difficult. "I want you to go home. Go home."

"Which home?" she asked.

"Stay here on Midgard," he instructed before coughing powerfully. "Defend it with your life. Come to me when your mortal life has ended." Their hands were pressed together as he looked to the ring he had given her. "I will be waiting for you."

"Don't you die on me," she begged. "Don't you leave me here alone! I cannot live knowing you are dead."

Loki's eyes were searching her. "You are no longer my possession," he barely got out, wiping away a tear from her chin. "You are my treasure."

Sigyn wept and released a laugh at what he had said.

"You know how cheesy that sounds?" she jested with him.

He snorted back one laugh. "Kiss me," he asked.

She brought their lips delicately together and savored the joy of being with him. His icy blue lips were almost warm to the touch while her fingers combed into his messed up hair while his took a comfortable grip of hers.

It seemed almost a desperate attempt to keep himself to her...for he wanted it to be the last thing he remembered.

* * *

Loki's hand released from her mane and his lips went pleasantly still. His shoulders relaxed over her arm...as his hand hit the ground beside him with a thud.

Her tear-filled eyes darted back and forth looking at his still form. "Loki," her voice whispered as she stared at his closed eyes. "Loki, no," she repeated a couple of times.

Her prince had passed in that moment of time.

She shook his body in her arms, receiving no response from him.

"No!" she cried out to the heavens above her, tears burning her cheeks and nose running. "Mother please!" Her cries were loud and filled with revolting pain.

Birds that filled the trees flew away at the noise.

* * *

Thor was also weeping lightly as he held onto the murderer of her husband. Though he had once cared for and loved Jane, she had become Sigyn now...and her heart would always belong to his brother.

As her looked in his direction, Sigyn's were drawn upon the dagger that was lying on the ground just out of her grasp. It was still covered in Loki's dark blood as bits of crystal shined under the moonlight.

She called the dagger to her hand.

"If I cannot be with you in life my dearest, we shall be together in death," she said, placing the dagger over her heart.

"Jane," Thor called out to her. "Jane, you do not want to that."

"Jane is dead!" she growled. "She died when she killed my beloved. Now we will be together forever." She looked to the blade as she was about to take her own life. "So now Juliet, let me show you how it is done."

Thor tossed his captive to the ground and nearly made it to them, when the heavens split open and light poured around them.

Thunder rumbled and raced across clouds that began to form.

They all looked up and saw that a storm was brewing, but not from anything that was manifesting on Earth. It was coming straight out of the stars, encasing them in golden energy.

"Sigyn," the voice of his father Lord Odin Allfather echoed around them. "There need be no more death."

The dagger was heated in her hand and she was forced to drop it to the ground, shattering upon impact.

"Loki, son of Laufey and adopted by Odin Allfather," he called, "you have learned...at last."

His brother's body became light and airy, lifting from her arms to where his hand barely grazed the ground.

"My son, your loyalty to your wife be honored in what you have done to be with her," Odin's echoing voice told her. "Let your love set your dark soul free."

"No!" Nanna howled. "Kill him!"

"Nanna, for your anger and revenge, in complete disregardance of your king," the voice and light came upon her, "may your energy fuel his return."

Thor took hold of Sigyn and ducked down, avoiding the golden tendrils that sprung from the clouds, reaching into Nanna's body, and leached out some of her energy. It danced slowly over to Loki's body; causing it to glow.

Nanna was still immortal, but her magical power had been stripped from her. It was a punishment worse than death; her power fueling her bitter enemy's return.

The wounds across Loki's abdomen sealed and closed. His armor was repaired asthough nothing had happened to him. The Frost Giant part of him was suppressed and he reappeared as the Asgardian prince he had once been known.

Sigyn walked slowly back to his body to stand beside it.

Hela, Loki's daughter reappeared and came to observe the events that were transpiring.

"What did I miss?" she asked.

"Only your father discovering his soul and how bright it really is," Thor answered his niece.

They both watched as Loki was delivered back into Sigyn's embrace. She lifted his head into her cradle delicately.

* * *

Sigyn held her husband in her arms, combing the tops of her fingers along his healed face. Though she had been frightened by Loki's Frost Giant form, she still loved him no less.

"With your soul awakened now Sigyn, goddess of Asgard, may your love fully heal him," they heard the voice of Frigga the Queen. "For your loyalty, honor, and faith, be rewarded."

She moved to place a delicate kiss upon Loki's still lips, just like the fairytales of her past human life. Normally it should have been he kissing her, but their story was anything but normal.

Suddenly, his eyes opened sharply and he took in a deep breath.

"Loki," she said his name.

"Sigyn," he called for her.

They embraced tightly, him sitting up so he could gather her tightly into his shaky arms.

"My love," he whispered to her.

She ran her fingers through his hair several times and held onto his body with her other arm.

They looked to each other again.

"I am overwhelmed," he said to her. "You wouldn't let me go."

"That is not the way marriage works," she replied. "You fight to the bitter end until death do us part. You are not dying without me or me without you."

"But you could have had your freedom," he said. "You would not be bound to me anymore."

"Maybe I like being bound to you," she jested with him.

They both heard Thor laugh, covering his mouth to prevent them from seeing him do so. He must have know that to be a human joke of an explicit nature.

Loki smiled at her before they kissed for another time, sealing their pact together in marriage and in life again.

"Shall I call you Sigyn or do you want to be called Jane as you have been her all this time?" he asked.

"I am pleased with whichever name you desire to call me," she said. "Though Jane is easier to remember and is does symbolize a gracious new start for us."

He curled a lock of her hair around his finger and allowed it to come to rest against her cheek. "Then Jane it is," he stated.

Jane stood and took both of his hands in order to assist in bringing him to his feet.

* * *

Thor watched with happiness that Loki would no longer be that tortured soul. He would find the inspiration to be happy again.

Nanna was less than happy that they were reunited.

But she had no one to blame but her own selfish ambition. If she had not come to Earth, they never would have been able to find out that Sigyn was not dead. Just reincarnated in another body.

It still troubled him that he did not know that Jane was Sigyn; even in the time that they knew each other before Loki knew. He truly was elated for his brother.

"May this be a new beginning for us," Loki whispered out of breath. Their foreheads were together as they stared into each other's eyes.

"To this and many more eternities together," Sigyn replied.

Thor coughed to get their attention.

"Oh yes my brother," Loki introduced her to him, "my beautiful wife Jane, goddess of fidelity, marriage, and compassion."

So she had selected to keep her Midgard namesake and carry on her human name as the goddess she now was.

"As unusual as this may sound Jane," Thor spoke to her, "I am pleased to not only call you sister, but I am glad that you will be coming with us. Now you will always be protected and safe."

And Jane laughed, before Loki pulled her against him.

"May this be a new beginning for us," Loki whispered out of breath.

"To this and many more eternities together," Jane replied.

They were going to kiss yet another time, but Thor coughed yet again.

"It sounds as though we have a wedding to get to," his brother told them. "We need to make this all legal, so how about we get home and welcome our goddess back home."

"First, we need to make a journey to Helheim," Jane spoke as they walked closer to him as he held Nanna in his tight grasp. "Our dear Nanna has a boat to catch."

The deposed goddess sneered at her and turned away.

"And I have several Jotuns who are in need of some intense repercussions," Hela spoke. "All in the name of keeping Helheim running as it should be."

"Hela," Jane spoke out to Loki's daughter. She slowly approached the death goddess, not swayed by how she appeared to be, but wanting to be near.

"I only hope that you can forgive me my lady," Loki's daughter said to her. "I did not mean her to escape and cause so much ill-will to you or my father."

She reached out and touched Hela's smooth white cheek, her thumb smoothing along her bone.

"I will never blame you Hela," she told her. "I hope that you will accept me now as your ally, if not your mother."

Surprisingly, the angel of death smiled and came into her arms.

Jane looked back to Loki, seeing him smile. He came forward to brush a hand down down his daughter's long striped hair.

"I think we should be getting home," Loki suggested. "This realm needs to get back to a sense of normalcy."

"Sounds like a dream," she said.

* * *

_OK, I told you it would not be too bad for too long so I cannot take responsbility for damages._

_We have our Happily ever after, right...not over yet. Please review._


	26. Chapter 25 Rebirth

_I really hope that you have been enjoying this story. We sadly are reaching our end here very soon. We have this and the epilogue and then that is all folks. _

_Please remember to review!_

_**Music  
**Jane prepares - "A promise" on The Avengers  
A clensing ceremony - "A new day" by Celine Dion  
A dance to remember - "Come what May" from Moulin Rouge_

* * *

**Chapter**** Twenty-five - Rebirth**

_Asgard_

The kingdom of Asgard arose to the gorgeous dawn, but for some apparent reason it glowed with a grandeur unlike any previous morn.

Large hawks swooped down from the mountains, cawing powerfully as they swept across the city and returned to their perches within the castle.

People fanned out and decorated the castle with radiant banners of white and blue; symbolizing rebirth and new life. Flowers petals lined the streets as people were going to celebrate this momentous occasion.

In her room that overlooked the pond and garden, Princess Jane smoothed the golden gown across her body situating the chest top area to make sure she was tightly secured before her mother laced her into it.

She kept looking at herself in the mirror, checking to see...actually she was checking everything. The way it fit, the way it shaped to her, the fact that she was wearing anything this lovely.

"It is so unusual," she said.

"What dearest?" Freyja, her mother asked.

"I am so used to wearing frayed denim jeans, t-shirts, sneaker shoes, and coats," Jane answered. "Not ballgowns like this."

"Well, a princess must always look her best. Especially on a day such as this."

She exhaled and felt the strings be tied and tucked in behind her. It couldn't be tied too tight for fear of her expanding midsection.

Jane and Loki had found out that they had conceived their first child, the first child in this new start for them. It had to have been conceived during that night on Midgard when they were together.

That was twelve weeks ago.

Her mother helped her to step down off the platform.

"Hold one moment young lady."

Freyja brought her the circlet tiara with the marriage knot to place upon her head. It was the same tiara, fresh and cleaned of the blood from when she had been attacked, that she had lost.

Retrieving her emerald from the dish on her vanity table, it was returned to its rightful place on her hand.

"So mother, how do I look?" she asked.

Her mother wanted to weep. "A princess who has found great joy out of the darknesses of her past," the goddess of Valhalla said to her. Her hands came to rest on the outline of her face. "How I am so glad to have you home."

The mother and daughter embraced tightly; Freyja leaving a kiss upon her temple.

"How I am so proud to have you as my daughter and overjoyed to have you back in Asgard once more."

"As am I mother. As am I."

There was a cough outside her open chamber doors that broke away their reunion.

It was Fandral and Hogun of the Warriors Three. Both were adorned in their royal best.

"My Lady Jane and Lady Freyja," Fandral greeted bowing at the waist out of respect. "It would be my supreme privilege to escort you to the river."

Freyja took the free arm of Hogun while Jane took Fandral's crook.

Servants and elders all stared at her, some bowed their heads to her acknowledge her presence within the palace.

Jane chuckled.

"What is amusing princess?" her escort asked.

"I am never going to get used to this again," she replied with a smile. "I have been living on Midgard for far too long. You expected us to kneel and bow to you. Now I am the one getting bowed to. It is just bizarre and new to me."

"Do not worry your highness," Hogun spoke as he walked alongside them. "People are marveled at your return. It is of the highest honor that they acknowledge you."

Jane smiled again as they walked down the steps and entered into the royal gardens. It was a sacred space for the royals and those to gather in celebration of great events. There was a small river that flowed through the main garden that was protected and was said to be filled by a small lagoon in the forest outside of the city.

It was water that was clear as day and possessed magical, healing properties.

For today, it had a special purpose: rebirth.

* * *

Lord Odin and Queen Frigga stood in the water up to their knees in the cool rushing ripples around them. The queen's gown was wet, but this gown was designated for this occasion.

She was purifying her baby boy.

Loki fell backwards very gently into her arms that guided his shoulders while her husband's arm held him at the back. His arms were crossed over his new leather and emerald royal tunic while his eyes were delicately closed.

He was guided underneath the cool ripples to where he was completely submerged.

Odin took his spear, watching it glow as he waved it over their son's body.

She looked up at the family and close friends who were to bear witness to this moment. It was a tremendous undertaking for Loki to admit that he needed purification. To admit that his darkness as a Frost Giant was plaguing him.

Thor was smiling while he held on to both the hands of Lady Sif and Princess Jane. The other Warriors stood there watching in disbelief that the trickster god was going through with the ritual.

It had taken some time, consultations with numerous magicians, and gathering the energy it would take to complete the task before them, but Odin and Frigga were willing to do whatever they could do.

Loki also had to renounce his entitlement to the throne of Jotunheim. If he wanted to be purified completely, he needed to let go of everything.

The Allfather was cleansing him of his Jotun nature, Frost Giant powers, and casting out the darkness within him. It was would remove everything that tortured him and allow him to make a fresh new start.

Loki's body returned to full Jotun form that he was born as. The water began to grow cold as they waded within the blessed liquid. Their boy began to glow as the spell began to work upon him. He was in a great deal of pain as his eyes were shut and teeth gritted tightly.

The spell had passed through him and soon, dark blue magic left his body and flowed away down the river's flow.

Then her eyes locked on her niece, Jane who had returned from her reincarnation on Midgard and returned to claim her rightful station at home. The smile on her face beamed as brightly as the sun that shined on them in this moment.

Once Odin had finished, Loki's eyes were opened under the water.

They each reached their hands downward for him to grab.

And their son took them so he could be wrenched from the river quickly.

Loki breathed and coughed at the sudden breath that he was able to take. He raked his fingers through his hair and struggled to get back to standing.

However he, voluntarily, fell to his knees in front of his father.

"Loki," Odin spoke to him, using his hands to get their son to look up at him. "No longer will you be a monster. No longer will you be feared. For you are no longer to be associated with great darkness. You are made anew, my precious boy. You are cleansed of that former existence. You are no longer a son of Laufey. Loki, you are a son of Odin."

Loki wanted to weep, but could not seem to bring it forward. Tears flowed and mixed with the water droplets of the river.

They were shocked when he came and embraced his father.

Odin combed his wet locks as he gathered them in his grasp and allowed the strands to slide through his fingers.

"Father," Loki whispered as he wept.

Frigga came and held him at the same time.

"Mother," he also wept, turning his head so to rest it between the both of them. "Thank you, the both of you, for never giving up on me."

The parents released their boy, seeing him smile. It was a sight that they prayed they would never stop seeing.

* * *

Loki turned and locked eyes with his beautiful wife. She smiled at him with great joy and accomplishment.

He bounded out of the river, scaled to the ground, and took up Jane into his arms.

Jane giggled uncontrollably as he approached her.

It did not matter that he was soaking wet or that she was wearing a beautiful golden gown.

He wanted to embrace her and the child that they had conceived.

Spinning them about in celebration, Jane laughed with loud joy as her arms came to rest around his neck. He was careful not to crush her stomach that held their precious baby within.

Once becoming disoriented himself, Loki still held her off her feet, but wanted to look up at her.

"Shall we be married now?" he asked her. "To make our marriage complete and perfect; now that I am truly a Son of Odin and not of Laufey of Jotunheim."

"Let us be then," she answered. "Grant me the honor of marrying you again and again and again; from now till the end of time."

He tossed her legs upward so that he may carry her into his mother's private sanctuary where she would perform their marriage rite.

With everything set into place and the entire family repaired, there was nothing that would separate them again.

* * *

The evening brought about a feast with a heavenly glow around the Castle of the Allfather. Most believed the torches glowed brighter in their array of colors. Some attributed it to the golden moon shining off the water and the spires of the castle. Others thought the fireflies that fluttered about the grounds brought the kingdom to life.

However, the newest prince and princess of the realm thought they were the ones to blame.

Asgardians of all rank and stature stood in a thick circumference around the dais in the middle of the throne room. It was the platform that rose up where the person that wanted to step before the Allfather's throne would stand before walking towards him.

Loki and Jane Odinson were on display for all the realm to see.

The expectant princess felt like a jewelry box dancer as she moved to the music that surrounded them.

Her prince looked amazing, almost glowing in the happiness that covered his face. His royal tunic and long flowing emerald cape graced the floor as her new white gown dragged slightly off the stage.

Jane opened her eyes as her cheek rested against his elated heart. His chin rested upon her extravagantly curled mane and headpiece that she wore.

She wanted to stay in this moment, even if she was exhausted from the days' activities, for the end of time.

Their eyes locked with one another, but Loki brought his forehead against hers as well as a hand to his lips for a tender kiss.

"Thank you," he whispered to her, not skipping a step or messing up their motion.

"For...?" she asked.

"Bringing me back from the abyss that I was ready to plunge myself into," he told her. "I was ready to jump and fall to my doom. Now I have a reason for live. Many reasons to live."

"And thank you my darling," she told him. "Thank you for helping my family to come and share in this day with us."

Jane looked off the stage and saw the entire Hastings family, all done up in royal attire and designs. Rachael waved like a goofy child in excitement.

"It was the one gift I knew you wanted, even if you did not say it," Loki said. "You have to admit that Rachael is loving the way she looks."

She laughed and their mouths met gingerly before intensifying. Her fingers laced their way through his hair; his freshly trimmed and proper hair.

Her prince's hand did the same while the other pushed against her upper spine to bring her against his body.

The entire crowd erupted in applause around them.

However, their day was ending and people were needing to get off to bed, the Hastings needed to be getting back to Midgard, and this couple did want to spend some of their wedding night together.

This was to be a night to remember.

* * *

_I know that this was a happy moment, but we have a epilogue to get to...please review and proceed_


	27. Epilogue

_Oh how I hate it when we get to this part of a story. I am so grateful to all of your reviews, subscriptions, questions, and letters. It has been fulfilling to say the least. Thank you one and all._

_There maybe a few bonus scenes that pop up here and there so please stay tuned._

_Please do not forget that one last review...because to those of you who have been subscribing, faving, and reviewing, this chapter I humbly dedicate to you._

* * *

**Epilogue - A bright future**

It was a day that had been long coming, but they had wanted to hear the news from Vor, the goddess who saw everything. The seer was being welcomed by Odin and Frigga before she came to the expectant parents.

Deep within the confines of the Allfather's palace of Asgard, Lady Jane Odinson rested reclined on a small chaise lounger as she napped in the breeze of the veranda that led into Loki's garden. Her hand rested on her expanded abdomen that held the first baby that she and Loki had conceived on Midgard.

She was due very soon, but for some reason, this pregnancy was draining her significantly. Most days she stayed in her and Loki's quarters resting in the sun.

* * *

Being as quiet as possible, the Asgardian prince slipped through the doorway carrying a tray of food, a challis of tea, and flowers to brighten her day.

He used magic to slide a small table toward where she was sleeping so to set the tray down.

Loki was breath-taken by his sleeping wife, but did notice that her face was starting to get a pleasant redness from a sunburn. She must have been lying out there for some time.

"Jane," he called her name, smoothing a hand across her mane.

She lightly woke up, but was extremely groggy.

"Hey," she greeted him. "What time is it?"

"Nearly midday," he told her, bringing the cool tea for her to drink. "A gift from mother to help with your weakness."

His wife sat up so she take in the refreshment easily.

"How is our precious gift?" he asked.

"Finally decided to sleep," she told him, her hand smoothing across the pale gold gown that covered her abdomen. "Why this baby gets their times mixed up, I cannot fathom. Awake during the night and asleep during the day, it will weaken me to where I cannot stand. As of now, I have yet to be able to move all morning from this chaise. I want to have Vor tell us, but I do not know if I can stand long enough..."

"It's all right my love," he told her. "You do not need to be standing at all. You continue to rest here and that is all you need to do. Vor will be here soon and she will tell us everything."

Loki smoothed his hand down her face, feeling her hand come to greet his. "We needn't fear anything my darling," he reassured her. "I cannot wait for her to tell us about our miracle that will soon come and bless our lives."

A knock came to the door.

"Enter," he proclaimed.

His mother entered the room. "Children," Frigga peered in, "are we ready to see your child?"

Loki and Jane looked to one another, a smile appearing on both their faces.

* * *

Vor had entered their room to the audience of Lord Odin, Queen Frigga, Prince Loki, and Princess Jane and began to work with her magical visions.

The seer's hands rubbed along her womb, seeing what this baby desired them to see.

The prince sat behind the princess's head, his leg bobbing up and down with nervous anxiety.

Jane put her hand on his leg to try and relieve his tension.

"Calm yourself darling," she whispered.

"I cannot," he replied. "I just want to know that their our baby is safe and well."

"I can assure you of that Prince Loki," Vor spoke to him, but unable to see her face behind the hood of her cloak. "Your baby is doing very well. The reason for your princess's weakness is due to the strength that your child has."

"Strength?" Jane asked. "What sort of strength? Physical? Mental?"

"I assure you Princess Jane," the goddess continued. "Your children will be very strong."

"Children?" her husband questioned.

"Are we having more than one?" Jane asked.

"Not this time," Vor told them. "I see definitely more than one child in your future bloodline; a boy and a girl."

Jane looked at Loki who appeared to be grinning from ear to ear with joy.

"Who are we having now?" Loki asked.

"Do you desire to know or wait to see when they come?"

They both looked to each other.

"I thought that we wanted to wait?" she asked.

"I know, but I am so overwhelmed," he replied with a smile. "A boy and a girl in our bloodline..."

"Not just any boy or any girl. These children will play significant impacts the future of the Asgardian Realm."

He looked to his father who did seem intrigued at what she was saying.

"Tell us more Vor," Odin asked.

"I see a great conflict in the future, one where it seems like there is nothing left. No hope, no future, no life." Everyone stole a worried look from each person in the room. It sounded like an ominous fate awaited their kingdom. "Then from this impenetrable darkness, two beacons of light will lead Asgard into battle and return with victory."

Their children, the one inside her and the one to come were about to be heroes. They would as heroes be greater than those that were of the past and their present.

"Heroes," Jane smiled and said with joy.

Loki kissed her head.

"Your boy, he will be strong, but not overzealous. He will have strategy in combat, and intelligence beyond all around him. His magical talents will also be strong, like his father, perhaps even stronger. He will need guidance and instruction to ensure control and stability over that which he possesses."

"With a man like his father," his mother spoke, "Loki will ensure he is taught and trained well."

"And the other?" Loki asked. "What about the daughter that will be born to us?"

Vor moved her hands around the womb and oversaw other parts of her as well.

"Oh, I see radiant, magical child," the goddess told them. "But this one, she has control over her elements. She will be the guardian of the forests, the animals, and the elements within nature. Her eyes I see sharp, clear, and precise. Able to strike any target that she seeks. I see her as an archer, the greatest in all the nine realms."

They looked at each other again. A magical soldier of great strength and guardian of nature for their children.

Loki and Jane could not be more pleased.

"Do you desire to know whom it is that you are carrying now before I depart?" Vor asked.

This would be their chance to find out whom it was that was to be borne and given to them.

It was the greatest gift that they had created.

"No," Jane told her. "I desire to be surprised when they come."

"So be it, Lady Jane," the seer told them.

"Are you sure Jane?" Loki asked. "This will be the only time that we learn everything."

"Sometimes, my dearest," she told him, "Surprises are the way of life. They excite us and charge us with emotion. I want to feel that when our baby is born. Wondering if our prince or princess is ready for this life."

Loki was breathtaken by his wife's knowledge and wisdom. It did not matter whom they would give birth to now. Only look forward to the time when the other would join their family.

Finally all was working out as it should be.

* * *

_You think I would leave you hanging like that? Of course not! Surprise! There is a sequel to this story and it is nearly finished as well. I hope that you will enjoy it. _

_Stay tuned for _"**_Once Upon a Time_**."

_Please do not forget to review_


	28. Oneshot A warrior mother's heart

Welcome back everyone. I was torn between posting this here or posting it as a One-shot. I decided to do both! As you have read from the epilogue, "Once Upon a Time" is coming soon as the sequel to "Pardon my Past." This is a one-shot companion that connects these two stories together.

Loki and Jane are on the rocks when they have not even celebrated one year of marriage or one year of their son Lukas' life. But Jane, goddess of marriage, compassion, and fidelity has been up to no-good...in a good way.

I found that listening to a repeat track of "Broken" (featuring Amy Lee of Evanescence) by Seether gives this chapter the right mood.

* * *

**A Warrior Mother's heart  
**_**One year after "Pardon my Past"****  
**_

_Valhalla_

Could she stand another moment? Her body ached all over. Scratches and incisions open or in some stage of healing or flow. Bruises along her right shoulder joint, a broken right wrist, twisted left ankle that she hobbled to her chambers on, bruised right eye...the list went on.

However, the second trial was now complete. Her body would heal with time and Jane Odinson would complete the final trial.

If she wanted to be a valkyrie like her mother Freyja, she had complete it. Not completing her test would prevent her from being a warrior and bring dishonor to her mother.

She had been vexed by the Asgardian people. They treated her as a fragile doll and feared for her what husband would do them if caught dishonoring her.

Jane, a princess of Asgard was not mortal anymore and she wished everyone would get tidbit through their heads.

It was what caused all their problems.

Loki and Jane had done nothing but fight since Lukas had been born. She thought it to be attributed to post-partum depression, but she was not depressed.

She did not want to be feared for what Loki would do people. She wanted to be feared for she would be able to do them.

It was why she wanted to chose the path of a valkyrie.

However when Jane told Loki that she wanted to be one, her husband went ballistic. His anger with her had been unlike anything she had seen ever.

She had been a goddess for nearly a year now. Lukas was still a newborn, but was beginning to show his love for magic and illusions.

They had been trying for their daughter, but to no avail. Vor had not explained the age difference that would be between her children, but said she was destined to have her precious daughter.

Then the fighting began.

Loki accused her of infidelity in all her travels to Valhalla (though she was visiting her mother), Jane flung insults at the showing their son magic at such a young age, and the both of them refused to admit that they had a problem.

So she walked painfully into her chamber, crying as her broken wrist attempted to push the door open.

Jane walked into her chamber, slowly taking off the belt that crossed over her body that held her bow-staff. It dropped with a loud clang to the floor.

The bracers were next to strike the marble floor.

With a wave of her hand, she lit a fire in the hearth. It was one of the simple magic tricks she had picked up as a goddess and used it often.

She parted the sparkling purple veil that surrounded her bed and sat down. Using her right foot, she slid off her boot, but due to the injury of the other her hands would have to take it off.

Hissing, the boot came off. Her ankle was indeed broken and swollen, bruising slightly at the bone.

The first trial had been endurance. She had been forced into running a great distance, swimming across a vast lake, and climbing a mountain with no cables or supports. It spanned several days and nights of no food or drink.

The second trial had been a battle with some Valhalla's greatest warriors. These warriors were being saved for the Ragnarok, the great final battle at the twilight of the gods. She was given her choice of weapons, but it did not matter as many of her combatants were far greater than she.

Freyja had watched and wanted to intervene, but the code was that Jane had to endure the three trials to prove her worth.

She would be given rest tonight, but tomorrow would be her final challenge.

Survival.

Whatever fate awaited, she would have to endure it tomorrow.

Jane fell back onto the fabric and exhaled.

"The life of a warrior," she grumbled before closing her eyes.

* * *

The wind blew at the curtains upon the balcony that overlooked Valhalla's fields. The cool breeze fanned the flames in the hearth, but the valkyrie within did not move an inch.

She was not a valkyrie yet, but through the pain, she had been able to be located.

And even after six months of separation, Prince Loki would always know where to find his wife.

His heart ached everyday since the disagreement that had transpired. Jane had been angry that he was already showing Lukas the joys of magic. She had also been complaining that they were not worshiping her because she was the Goddess of Fidelity, but because she was the wife of Loki.

The fight had been so taxing to the point that Jane fled to Valhalla to her mother's hall. It was only until recently that his father Odin had told him she was completing the three trials to become a valkyrie.

He remembered watching Jane stood in the sandy arena surrounded by warriors, brutish and large, having to fight for her life until she defeated them.

How he wanted to intervene, swoop in, and save her.

However, dishonor would have become her. Loki remained on his perch, watching in distain as warriors beat down and destroyed her body.

His wife proved to be the strongest and defeated every single one of them; mostly using her intelligence and knowledge to achieve victory.

Loki moved passed the curtains and entered Jane's quarters very calmly and quietly. He used a cloaking spell so she did not know he was with her. He just wanted to make sure she was well.

She appeared to be asleep on the bed as he moved to stand before her.

Even with all the cuts, scars, wounds, bruises, and all the verbal transgressions she had flung at him, he still loved his wife.

His hand moved to gently pull aside the curtain to get a better look at her.

Jane shot up with a start and took him to the ground, a dagger in hand against his neck.

Loki landed hard on his back, hands up to indicate surrender.

"Release your magic villain, for I am Lady Jane Odinson," she said to him, "a valkyrie."

Oh yes, he remembered. He was still invisible.

The spell faded to where she would be able to see him.

"Loki?" she said. "What are you..."

"I could feel your pain," he told her. "I came to see for myself."

But her hand flung the dagger away and brought her lips to his; kissing him in only the way they used to share their passion.

Loki needed to breathe from the exchange. "You have committed your first mistake valkyrie," he said.

"And pray tell would that be."

He shoved her over to be the one hovering over her. "Never ever throw your weapon away."

"Really?"

"Do I appear to be jesting with you?"

Jane put her hands up to rest at his shoulders. She used her strength to shove him off, call the dagger back to her hand, and roll into a crouch to place it where it once had been.

It during that moment of disorientation that he sat up and found the cold metal meeting his flesh.

"Clever little trick," he said.

The two of them began to spar once they were vertical. His fist came in, but she blocked it extremely well with her forearm. He went high and low, differentiating his attacks.

With a kick of his leg, Jane blocked it with both her hands and twisted to where he rolled in midair, but still managed to land on his feet.

"You certainly are learning."

"Cannot be a valkyrie and not be able to fend off attacks at a moment's notice," she answered him.

Jane went to strike him with a chop, but he blocked it. However, she swung around and clocked him with her opposite arm's elbow.

"You will not give up, will you?" he asked.

"To give up is a dishonor. To die a warrior's death is noble; even if you are my husband."

"Am I?" he asked. "I was beginning to wonder."

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"You have been gone for quite some time. People have begun to speak in that which I am most known for."

Jane stood down from her attack position. "How dare you accuse me of not loving you anymore. I would assume to die a thousand deaths than to not be with you. Loki, son of Odin, I love you everyday, every night, and it has killed me to not have you at my side."

Oh, was she aware of _everything_ that he had done over their separation? His evil transgressions on Midgard, the Chitauri, the tesseract, everything. In his anger and sadness, yes, he turned back to his dark and wicked ways.

"Then why have you not returned?" he asked.

"You know why. This is what I have desired to become. I want to be revered as much as you are. I want to be known for something more than a goddess of marriage and compassion. A warrior's path is my destiny."

"Then prove your worth princess," he said. "Defeat me and I shall forgive you."

Jane came in with a form of attack using her hands and the dagger as her primary weapons.

He blocked the attacks, laughing at her attempts to come out victorious.

Her foot came around to kick at him, but he grabbed it. This was her wounded ankle.

"Never attack your enemy where he can exploit your weakness," he told her.

She smiled. "I'm not."

Jane snapped off her right foot and knocked herself free.

Loki watched with a smile, feeling the tenderness from where his wife had struggled to free herself.

"One of the things Freyja taught me," she said, smiling on her face. Her injured ankle rose to where she was balancing on her good foot. "How to fight when you are injured...and that includes on one foot."

He stood back up.

They went at it again, matching fist for fist, chop for chop, and kick for kick.

It was amusing yet exhilarating at the same time.

Finally, he had had enough of this game.

When his wife took her opportunity to attack him with her dagger, Loki dislodged the weapon, took her arms in a manner that he trapped her against his body, and kissed her.

Jane responded back at him as her fingers grabbed a tight hold of his hair.

They spiraled around in a passionate dance of amorous devotion.

His mouth savored every inch down her chin and profile down her neck. Her responses to the sensuous emotion made him love her even more; no matter how angry he had been at her for the past six months.

"Husband," she spoke at a nearly breathless tone.

"Wife," he repeated her emotional title.

They were destined to conceive a daughter. Why not now?

* * *

_The following morning_

The morning of her final trial, Jane opened her eyes to the gorgeous sun that brought her out of her deadened sleep.

As she felt beside her for her husband, it was considerably cold and empty.

Where was he?

There was a note on the pillow.

_My darling wife, _

_ Once you win your final trial today, please come home. I need you. I know you will succeed. My love be with you._

_ Your husband_

* * *

_Asgard_

The trial was over.

Nothing Jane could not handle. After the beatings and endurance, surviving in a labyrinth while being chased by a dragon was nothing.

Now she had to endure the trial within her heart.

Racing back to Asgard, she entered the royal palace adorned in her full valkyrie uniform. She had gone with purple silk to underlay the silver corset and shoulder armor, proper bracers and boots, and a helmet. Her mother had wanted her to select the one with wings, but Jane felt that it was an insult to Loki to wear one modeled after his brother.

She changed it to be headband that wrapped around with two snaking back horns, but low across her crown. It would be an extra layer of protection for attacks to her noggin.

When she returned, Jane immediately went to her quarters to search for Loki and found Thor and Frigga standing on the veranda to the garden.

"Jane, darling," her mother-in-law greeted her with a tight embrace.

"What is this?" she asked. "Where is Loki?"

"Jane, something happened during your valkyrie training," Thor spoke her.

"What happened?"

Within moments, she was whisked down to the dungeons to a cell deep within the corner at the back.

Thor held her hand tightly. She wanted to come down alone, but her brother-in-law refused her to be with Loki without support.

If only he knew what they were up to last night.

Jane walked to the barred wall and put her hands on some of the bars.

"Loki," she called his name.

And her husband looked up at her. Shackles adorned his wrists while links secured him to the wall.

But how? If he was secured to the wall, how did he appear to, spar with, and sleep beside her?

His eyes were radiant and sparkled, but the metal mask that covered his mouth that savored and kissed her before she succumbed to sleep.

"Open it," she said.

"Jane, I..." Thor protested.

"Either open it or I break it down. You choose."

Her brother opened the door to the cell and she raced to her husband's side. "Loki," she said his name. His pain-filled eyes looked up at her.

How could he be here if she was in his arms? Who had she consorted with last night?

"What have you done my beloved?" she said.

"He attacked Earth using a demonic race called the Chitauri to steal the tesseract from the mortals," Thor told her. Jane looked back at him and then back to her husband.

They needed to speak to one another, but without criticism or contrite from those around.

_Is this true my husband_, she asked, using her mental link she shared with him.

_It is_, he answered.

Jane wanted to cry at this sudden shock, but she did not give up or show weakness in her first official day as a valkyrie.

_You completed the third trial_, he said.

_Yes_, she replied.

_I knew you would_. She could feel Loki's cheekbones flex into a smile under her hands.

_So, if you did come to me last night, then how is it that you are locked up_?

_A magician never kisses and tells_, Loki replied. He did appear to be smiling the best he could from underneath the mask. "Do not worry," his voice told her, a hand coming to her face as best it could. He reverted back to the mental link form of communication. _You were with me I swear. An illusion of me in its strongest, purest form that came to you_.

_So I made love to your ghostly illusion of yourself. Cute, very cute_.

_I strive to achieve_.

Jane looked back to Thor. "Please let him go."

"I cannot honor your request," her family member said. "Loki has committed a tragic crime against the mortals of Midgard and is being punished for it."

"By punishing Loki and Lukas," she shouted. "Lukas already lost me for six months. Do not make him hurt because of our crimes."

"What crimes have you committed Jane?" he asked.

"Being a terrible absent parent. Please Thor, let Loki be free."

"That is something I would desire to do, but you cannot expect me to be able to break those chains. Father put them around him as punishment for what he has done."

She stood up, still holding onto Loki's hands. "Then I will go before the Allfather myself," she said, rising to the challenge.

_You cannot do that my love_, Loki begged of her, tugging on her hand. _You could share a cell with me for that support_.

_Not if they want to deal with Lukas the rest of their lives or expect their granddaughter to never be born. The prophesy will not come true and Asgard will die. Does everyone want that_?

Loki was impressed because he got very quiet and his thoughts were supporting her determination to win.

* * *

_I got Loki released from prison and we both learned that his magical visitor had completed his task. He in fact was not lying, but in a way he was. His illusion had stayed in the prison cell, but his actual physical body came to Valhalla's chamber._

_Lynnea Rose was born to us within that year. Our little huntress had finally arrived and our family was complete._

_And they both prayed that that war that ended Asgard would never come._

* * *

_Stay tuned everyone. Once Upon a Time is coming soon! Remember to review for me!_


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